The Finding of a Therapy Cat: a series about Tinkerbelle, Registered Pet Partner Therapy Cat (retired) and our journey together.
By Mollie Hunt
Part 6. Finding our way
Yay! We passed the test so Tinkerbelle and I were official registered Pet Partners with a plastic ID card for me and a nice shinny badge for Tink.
Now what? Pet Partners go many different places such as schools, libraries, hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, and more. I needed to decide which direction I wanted to take us. Though all are worthy causes, I chose assisted living facilities. I enjoy older people and understand the heartache of leaving behind a cherished cat because you no longer are able to care for them.
As the one thing was decided, a whole new set of questions came to light. How do I find places to visit? What do I say when I get there? What if Tink gets anxious (or I get anxious, for that matter)? Luckily Pet Partners has nice, knowledgeable supervisors who can help with all that.
I was given a list of facilities and a familiar name popped out, a place I had visited before for another reason. I got hold of the activities director and before I knew it, we’d made a date. That was so easy I called a second place, and they wanted us too. I was happy, excited. I felt like calling some more but wisely stopped myself from overcommitting. After all, Tink and I had yet to take our maiden voyage.
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.
What an inspirational story. I didn’t realize there were such things as a therapy cat, although that’s silly, because I have two cats and they are wonderful therapy! Thank you for an encouraging blog.
You’re very welcome. Not all places have a system set up for registering therapy cats. I’m lucky to live in Oregon.
How fortunate we are to have our feline friends in our lives. It is so great to hear of Tink and others that make such a valuable contribution. After all, they have so much love to give. Colette, Simone and our human
I so agree!