Hi there,
I work as a dog trainer and have one of my two dogs CGC certified and working as a therapy dog with special needs children once a week and in a paws for reading program at the library once a month. He absolutely eats it up loving all the attention. (my other is too grumpy for that kind of thing lol)
I know my cat would enjoy visiting the elderly (kids a bit too busy for him) because he complains (loudly) if we don't go on car rides to the pet store or out for walks or have anyone over to the house all week. As soon as we go out and about, he's fine and happy and quiet for a few days. Then cabin fever sets in and we're looking for new activities that he would enjoy.
He loves performing his tricks for people and will even do them at the petstore aka in a different environment than home and as a cat who runs to greet visitors at the door faster than the dogs I think he would enjoy therapy work. I've spoken with my therapy dog organization's rep at Love on a Leash and she admitted that our chapter was not equipped to evaluate a therapy cat and had no idea where I could go to get started. I've talked with a few other dog trainer friends who test CGC dogs and train assistance dogs and unfortunately they all had dead ends too. So it's apparent I'm looking in the wrong circles for getting started in therapy cat work.
How did you get started? Do you work with an organization or on your own? If an organization, which one? is it national? and how did the evaluation process go? I imagine the rules are different for dogs and cats haha
If on your own, how did you get started? Did you just call up a nursing home one day and say "Hi there, I have this cat....." lol
On a completely different level, many people are allergic to cats, do you ever run into that problem? I would feel terrible if someone had a reaction on a visit :/
ANY and all info/tips/advice would be appreciated!
Thanks
I work as a dog trainer and have one of my two dogs CGC certified and working as a therapy dog with special needs children once a week and in a paws for reading program at the library once a month. He absolutely eats it up loving all the attention. (my other is too grumpy for that kind of thing lol)
I know my cat would enjoy visiting the elderly (kids a bit too busy for him) because he complains (loudly) if we don't go on car rides to the pet store or out for walks or have anyone over to the house all week. As soon as we go out and about, he's fine and happy and quiet for a few days. Then cabin fever sets in and we're looking for new activities that he would enjoy.
He loves performing his tricks for people and will even do them at the petstore aka in a different environment than home and as a cat who runs to greet visitors at the door faster than the dogs I think he would enjoy therapy work. I've spoken with my therapy dog organization's rep at Love on a Leash and she admitted that our chapter was not equipped to evaluate a therapy cat and had no idea where I could go to get started. I've talked with a few other dog trainer friends who test CGC dogs and train assistance dogs and unfortunately they all had dead ends too. So it's apparent I'm looking in the wrong circles for getting started in therapy cat work.
How did you get started? Do you work with an organization or on your own? If an organization, which one? is it national? and how did the evaluation process go? I imagine the rules are different for dogs and cats haha
If on your own, how did you get started? Did you just call up a nursing home one day and say "Hi there, I have this cat....." lol
On a completely different level, many people are allergic to cats, do you ever run into that problem? I would feel terrible if someone had a reaction on a visit :/
ANY and all info/tips/advice would be appreciated!
Thanks
