Pet therapy has proven itself as an effective form of therapy, offering tangible therapeutic relief to many who suffer from various medical issues.
Cats make great therapy animals. With their naturally sociable personalities and love of cuddling and petting, cats make ideal therapy companions. Cats have been proven to assist people suffering from anxiety, depression and various health conditions.
Companion Animals
Cats’ natural tendency toward companionship makes them ideal therapy animals, providing much-needed emotional and psychological support. Their presence can significantly improve patients’ moods, blood pressure levels, energy levels and anxiety. Plus, cats’ affectionate companionship provides comfort to those living in assisted living facilities or nursing homes and helps alleviate feelings of loneliness.
Cats can be trained to serve as therapy animals and are frequently employed in schools, hospitals, and mental health clinics to bring comfort to people struggling with various illnesses and disabilities. Their presence can ease pain relief while simultaneously decreasing stress and anxiety levels as well as improving mood while counteracting feelings of isolation or depression.
While service dogs undergo extensive training to assist disabled persons, therapy cats require only basic training in order to become certified therapy animals and volunteer in various places to aid the emotional well-being of people who need it. Organizations like PetPartners and Love on a Leash offer evaluation services for cats to determine whether they have all of the characteristics necessary to become therapy cats, including good behavior and healthy temperament qualities. Some organizations charge fees in order for these felines to become officially recognized therapy animals.
Therapy animals provide much joy and happiness, but they can also be invaluable tools in fighting what is known as Sundowners Syndrome: an evening period characterized by increased agitation that occurs for those living with dementia and Alzheimer’s. Petting cats has proven highly effective at alleviating symptoms related to Sundowners Syndrome such as anxiety and agitation.
Although many seniors enjoy the benefits of pet ownership, not everyone can have one due to limited space or allergies to animals. Rescue cats make great companions for older individuals living in nursing homes or assisted living facilities as they provide soothing touches, frequency of purrs, love they give out naturally as part of their natural instincts of nurturing, as well as providing security when loved ones have passed on and need assurance they remain loved.
Pet Therapy
Animals such as dogs or cats can help break the ice between patients and therapists, ease resistance to therapy for those living with dementia or Alzheimer’s, increase participation, reduce agitation in long-term care settings and memory care settings, lower cortisol levels in the brain, promote calmness and relaxation and enhance overall mental health and boost mood – thus benefitting both patient and therapist alike.
Human-animal bonds release feel-good hormones such as oxytocin and serotonin that reduce stress and sadness while increasing confidence and happiness. Pet interaction can help patients forget their worries or pain, leading them to focus more readily on therapeutic goals – one study showed participants in animal-assisted therapy were more likely to work harder at physical therapy activities when pets were present; brushing a therapy pet’s fur or playing fetch with therapy pets even strengthen motor skills and mobility!
Animal-assisted therapy is a specialized type of therapy commonly found in hospitals, nursing homes and other healthcare facilities. This form of treatment requires special training for both animals and handlers – similar to how service dogs are taught – similar to how service dogs are trained for service work. Animal-assisted therapy may be especially useful for patients needing to learn specific tasks as well as rehabilitation programs for specific illnesses or injuries.
People hospitalized can miss their pets from home, so having one visit them can provide motivation to get better so that they can return to their loved ones more quickly. Animal-assisted therapy includes visitations from pet owners or sessions with animals trained specifically for medical and therapeutic uses – dogs, cats, horses, birds or even guinea pigs can help those experiencing anxiety or depression by creating positive associations while strengthening socialization skills.
Animal-Assisted Activities
Animal-assisted activities (AAA) are goal-directed therapeutic interventions conducted by licensed therapists using animals with their client sessions, using them as therapy sessions (Compitus 2021b). A plan must be created for interactions with the animal(s), tracked progress, and recorded in records for future reference (Compitus, 2021c). Animal-assisted recreation such as having children read to dogs) and education can also take place using animals; neither of which require a formal treatment plan nor require professional facilitation (Compitus 2021c).
Resident animals are animals who reside full time within a facility and engage in spontaneous or planned interactions with staff, volunteers, or residents. Resident animals are typically trained for specific roles within the facility such as providing comfort or entertainment to individuals; helping with training or play therapy sessions; or supporting activities like team sports.
Animal-assisted therapies are an excellent way to motivate clients in rehabilitation or therapy sessions, particularly those with autism. Studies show that when animals are present during language and social therapy sessions for these children they become more engaged, engaging more frequently, performing better in language therapy sessions, as the animal gives a sense of comfort or focus for them. Similar results have also been noted among older adults living alone who participate in animal assisted activities.
Studies have demonstrated how using dogs in family therapy reduced aggressive behaviors among chronic psychiatric inpatients. Patients engaging in animal-assisted activities reported greater happiness and less stress, while bringing in pets can also help those struggling with depression by increasing levels of dopamine and serotonin production; both hormones naturally produced by our bodies that when released can improve moods and feelings of wellbeing.
Animal-assisted activities offer many advantages to participants. Not only can these activities increase physical activity and help individuals feel positive about themselves and their situation, but they can also serve as an excellent means for building trust between patients and therapists – which is vital to successful therapy as it allows patients to connect with one another and feel at ease enough to discuss any concerns or problems openly with them.
Mental Health
Animals have been shown to help people cope with stress and improve their moods, as well as increase quality of life for those living alone or restricted settings like nursing homes. Studies indicate that petting and cuddling with cats can reduce blood pressure and heart rate – this makes therapy cats an invaluable part of mental health care, particularly among those diagnosed with depression, anxiety or other related mental illnesses.
While dogs may be the more commonly-known therapy animals, cats can also play an invaluable role in assisted living environments. Their purrs can provide soothing comfort to patients suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s diseases and help stimulate memories and ease agitation that often comes with these diseases during their later stages.
Studies have revealed that even elderly patients experiencing severe illness can benefit from engaging with pets to increase appetite, social interaction, tactile and cognitive stimulation and tactile and cognitive stimulation. One such study demonstrated greater improvements in Folstein Mini-Mental Status Examination scores as well as Geriatric Depression Scale scores than individuals who did not interact with pets.
If you’re considering training your cat as a therapy animal, there are various organizations that offer training. Cats that tend to be calmer around strangers tend to make great therapy pets; if this sounds like something your feline could benefit from doing, consider reaching out to non-profit organizations such as Love on a Leash or Animal Partners and discussing your idea with them.
Emotional Support Animals (ESAs), unlike service and therapeutic animals, do not need to be trained. To qualify as an ESA owner, all that’s required is a letter from your physician stating the animal can provide comfort or reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. Unfortunately, pet therapy does carry some risks such as infections from zoonotic diseases as well as trauma from bites and scratches; however these incidents have not been well documented and their benefits outweigh these dangers.