Therapy cats bring light to patients' lives
Last Modified: Friday, May 22, 2009 at 10:42 p.m.
MUSCLE SHOALS - Jak and Bare draw a crowd wherever they go.
Every other Friday afternoon, at the J.W. Sommer Rehabilitation Unit at Shoals Hospital in Muscle Shoals, they cuddle up to patients or have their photos snapped by employees who want a first look at an American sphynx, the rarest of cat breeds.
"You can see a light come on in the patients' eyes," said Dr. Terry True, Jak and Bare's owner and one of the doctors on staff at the facility. "There are three sides to patient treatment: physical, spiritual and emotional. We're treating the physical side, but (the cats) allow us to treat their emotional side, too."
Vaccinated family pets have long been welcome as part of the recovery process at the rehabilitation center, according to Cathy Holmes, nurse manager. Jak and Bare, whose name is a play on the hairless nature of the breed, provide something no medicine can: affection.
"The number one question we're asked by our accrediting agency is if we use animal-assisted therapy," she said. "Most facilities use dogs; we were so lucky to get these cats to come be a regular part of patient care."
Shoals Hospital is the only health care organization in the Shoals to incorporate animal-assisted therapy into its treatment regimen.
True's wife, Sharron, accompanies 5-year-old Jak and 1-year-old Bare on their trips to Sommer, and she takes them into the patients' rooms.
She went through the Delta training process to get Jak, the cream and white sphynx, certified.
The Delta Society, based in Bellevue, Wash., is a national organization that trains pets to provide service in medical settings. Jak is the first and only sphynx certified as a therapy cat.
A registered nurse by trade, Sharron True said this particular cat breed is especially suited to animal-assisted therapy. The breed is good natured, with characteristics that are more dog- than cat-like.
"Through Delta, Jak learned not to be scared of wheelchairs or walkers," she said. "But the number one thing is that they can't be aggressive. This is a great thing for patients because they get homesick or lonely for the pets they've had to leave at home."
The pair certainly brought a smile to Lonnie Briley's face. At the center for a week, he perked up when he got a visit from Jak and Bare.
"I've got seven cats at home; one just had her a litter of kittens," he said as he rubbed Jak. "They sure are something, aren't they? I don't think I've ever seen cats like them."
There are just 7,000 American sphynx cats worldwide. The Trues own seven.
In addition to their velvety nap of fur, sphinxes are also known for pot bellies, webbed feet and good
temperaments.
Michelle Rupe Eubanks can be reached at 740-5745 or michelle.eubanks@TimesDaily.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment