The Finding of a Therapy Cat: a series about Tinkerbelle, Registered Pet Partner Therapy Cat (retired) and our journey together.
By Mollie Hunt
Part 3. Is this the one?
I can’t tell you the exact moment I knew Tinkerbelle would make a great therapy cat. Maybe it was when I had my four grandchildren over and let them hold her and pass her from one to another while she purred the whole while. Maybe it was because she loved to be held and carried. Maybe it was her unflappability— nothing fazed her, not the clatter of dishes or the loud TV. Even the vacuum wasn’t a problem for brave little Tinkerbelle.
Tink quickly grew fit and strong in my home. Her eye infection cleared, and we could finally see those beautiful golden eyes. The URI cleared as well. It was time to take her back to the shelter.
Or not?
Even though she would bring our family cat count up to four, we decided this little girl wasn’t going anywhere. She would live out her forever life with us. I would look further into the realities of her becoming a therapy cat. If that worked out, it would be an amazing gift, the fulfillment of a long-time goal. If it didn’t, her sweet presence would be more than enough reward.
About Tinkerbelle:
Tink served for four years as a registered Pet Partner Therapy Cat, visiting assisted living facilities and hospice patients. Tink is now retired and living the quiet life. Check out her Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/TinkerbelleTheTherapyCat/
About Mollie Hunt:
Mollie is the author of the Crazy Cat Lady cozy mystery series, featuring Lynley Cannon, a sixty-something cat shelter volunteer who finds more trouble than a cat in catnip. Mollie is a member of the Oregon Writers’ Colony, Sisters in Crime, and the Cat Writers’ Association. This year she won a CWA Muse Medallion for her 3-part blogpost series, “Life Stages”.
Like Lynley, Mollie is a grateful shelter volunteer. She is a longtime volunteer for the Oregon Humane Society where she socializes sad, fearful, and behavior-challenged cats. She also fosters sick and elderly cats in her home. In 2014, she had the privilege to work with cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy on a particularly thought-provoking case.
You can find Mollie on her Website: http://www.lecatts.wordpress.com/, her Amazon Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/molliehunt, and her Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/MollieHuntCatWriter/.
Sign up for her Extremely Informal Newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/c0fOTn.
