Ours is the first place in the healthcare world where therapy cats exist. We do not get credit for developing or promoting the idea, but we do get some credit for their existence. After all, if they were not allowed to get fed in hospital pantries and to breed in hospital corridors or corners, would they exist and function as therapy cats?
There used to be black and white cats and kittens. Then either there was a mutation or a ginger cat took over the territory. Now there are ginger kittens. When they are not finding food or drink (milk) in the pantries, and are not dozing some place, they are amid patients and their relatives. They especially work best with babies whose mothers are in the wards either delivering more babies, or getting treated for gynecological ailments. The babies love them. They forget the pain of separation from their mothers playing with the kittens. Once I saw a toddler pick up a kitten held by the end of its tail. The poor kitten did not utter a single meow until we made the toddler put it down and told him not to do such a thing again. There are children watching kittens with rapt attention play or hide in inaccessible spots. There are children talking to the kittens. There are those who air touch them, meaning they reach out to touch them but do not do so actually. They are totally happy doing even that.
Therapy cats work even on adults. I have seen guys making kittens jump at their rolled up newspapers. That day I saw a ginger kitten perched on one knee of a guy in the crowd outside the labor ward. I have seen patients watch the kittens fondly sitting in their food lockers. I have seen kittens sleeping in patients' beds.
I just wish they would devour mice and rats in the hospital. That would reduce cases of rat bites, leptospirosis, and equipment malfunctions from chewed up electrical wires.
There used to be black and white cats and kittens. Then either there was a mutation or a ginger cat took over the territory. Now there are ginger kittens. When they are not finding food or drink (milk) in the pantries, and are not dozing some place, they are amid patients and their relatives. They especially work best with babies whose mothers are in the wards either delivering more babies, or getting treated for gynecological ailments. The babies love them. They forget the pain of separation from their mothers playing with the kittens. Once I saw a toddler pick up a kitten held by the end of its tail. The poor kitten did not utter a single meow until we made the toddler put it down and told him not to do such a thing again. There are children watching kittens with rapt attention play or hide in inaccessible spots. There are children talking to the kittens. There are those who air touch them, meaning they reach out to touch them but do not do so actually. They are totally happy doing even that.
Therapy cats work even on adults. I have seen guys making kittens jump at their rolled up newspapers. That day I saw a ginger kitten perched on one knee of a guy in the crowd outside the labor ward. I have seen patients watch the kittens fondly sitting in their food lockers. I have seen kittens sleeping in patients' beds.
I just wish they would devour mice and rats in the hospital. That would reduce cases of rat bites, leptospirosis, and equipment malfunctions from chewed up electrical wires.
