The Benefits of Pet Therapy

BY ALLISON HUNTER-FREDERICK

My cat Rainy and I are a therapy cat team. Therapy animals bring happiness and comfort to retirement centers, classrooms, libraries, and other facilities. These animals are pets that have undergone training and have been both certified and insured by a therapy animal organization.

While pets, in general, are good for the mental, emotional, and physical health of their owners, therapy animals benefit people who can’t or don’t own pets, or who don’t have access to their pets in a particular situation. Some people might miss having a pet and will appreciate the chance to visit with one, while others might miss their pet at home and so a therapy animal serves as a reminder of what is waiting for them. Alternatively, some people appreciate the friendliness of a therapy animal and decide to adopt or foster an animal.

There are numerous other benefits specific to therapy animals. For example, they can help improve verbal communication and self-esteem, motor skills and joint movement, social and empathetic skills, and willingness to join activities and interact with others.

As a therapy team, Rainy and I have visited seniors in various living situations, students and staff on a college campus, and children in a library. I’ll briefly explain these here.

CHILDREN

Research shows that children with low self-esteem are more willing to interact with animals than with people. Children find it more fun to read to animals because animals don’t laugh at or correct a child’s mistakes.

STUDENTS

While nothing can stop the constant juggling of classes, assignments, and tests, a therapy animal can alleviate some of that resulting stress. Students often find themselves calmer about facing another school day after a visit from a therapy animal.

SENIORS

According to the website Disabled World, therapy pets are valuable to the elderly and when interacting with people with dementia because they stimulate both memory and forgotten emotions. A representative from a local hospice says that pet therapy teams provide comfort, peace, and soothing companionship.

If you’re interested in helping meet the need for cat therapy visits, contact me at allisontalkspets@gmail.com.