Animals are such understanding friends - they don't ask questions and never criticise you.

G. Eliot

In the Czech Republic there is no uniform terminology concerning therapeutic work with animals. The term zoorehabilitation is probably the most frequently encountered term for various activities with the help of animals. Hipporehabilitation or canister therapy have been written about, but they are quite well known to the general public. Less is known about felinotherapy, a method referred to by the international classification as AAA - activity with the support and presence of animals, in this case cats.

My positive personal experience of working with my two cats in the Home for the Elderly in Budislav has prompted me to share our experiences with you. My cat and I are engaged in "Visiting Service", an activity where a "pet therapist" (cat) is brought to the user but does not live in the facility.

Cats in social services are considerably fewer than dogs, for example, and the insights into working with them vary. Perhaps because the cat is supposedly untrainable, personality, sneaky... In my experience every cat is a personality, just like every other creature is an individual and is unique just like us humans. Treacherous? Every animal is the image of its master. Upbringing? Just as we raise and mold our children, we raise our cat and it raises us. It's an interaction between two subjects. Thank you for it, because how the cat interacts with us can be used to our advantage.

The founder of the Visiting Service in the Czech Republic is Daniela Hypšová, who is actively involved with her cats. She is the author of the methodology regulating the activities of the Visiting Service and the testing methodology for this service, which is unique in Europe. She has developed the "Regulations for the protection of noble cats of the Independent Breeders Club during public appearances, the Visiting Service and examinations for it and the seduction of cats", the " Examination Regulations for the Felis Team in the Visiting (therapeutic) Service " and the "Standards of Practice of the Visiting Service with noble cats". In the Czech Republic, the visiting service operates in the hospital in Hustopeče u Brna, in the children's home in Havířov, in homes for the elderly (e.g. in Mladá Boleslav, Budislav, Soběslav and Brno), in a barrier-free home for the physically handicapped in Kladno and in Slovakia, e.g. in the retirement home in Kremnica.

Act No. 108/20006 Coll., on Social Services, requires us as providers of social services to provide, among other things, social therapeutic or activation activities. One of them can be an activity with a cat. It has been scientifically proven that the action of a cat on a person lowers the heart rate and blood pressure (Johannes Odendaal "Animals and our mental health", Prague: Brázda, 2007). She purrs, gives us her love, a feeling of neediness, accepts us as we are, does not criticize, quietly listens.

There are always at least three people involved in cat therapy: the cat, the user who has a need to meet the cat, and the cat owner (the cat, however, will always be convinced that it is the main actor). The cat's prerequisites are perfect health (a sick cat will not transmit positive energy), a calm disposition, an outlook, and a love for people. A very good knowledge of the cat's behaviour and a reciprocal relationship with the cat is a prerequisite for the cat owner. The cat usually determines for itself how long it will be a companion. As far as the health of your "pet-partner" is concerned, vaccinations and deworming are a matter of course. My cats come to say hello to our vet once every three months to show him that he is not the only one who can treat. I also take for granted not only the examination of the cat, but also a discussion about its psychological well-being.

If the question of which cat is the most suitable comes to mind, there is no clear answer. It is the one that likes people, their presence, cuddling, touching. The one that is fully socialized, has a strong emotional attachment to its human, whom it fully trusts. No matter the breed. Cats with a calm, mild temperament have certain predispositions. Ragdolls, Siberian cats, Maine Coon, British, Persian and domestic cats are used in the Czech Republic.

The cat must have excellent character qualities, because any service to humans is very demanding and the feline soul is fragile, just like our human soul.

In my work with the elderly and the cat, what I use most is reminiscence - remembering. By sharing the memories of the users with each other, we establish trust. Trust in the care staff, in the outside world, in other users. Memories in relation to animals are mostly positive, which makes our work as a team much easier. For the users, it's "just" experiential therapy, visiting with the cats, talking, petting, cuddling, sometimes even having a lot of fun when the cat hops on their bed or pulls objects out of their drawers.

Some people rejected cats because they were angry at the world, at old age, at their families, at all the nurses and people who cared for them. Just don't get angry when the cat is jumping on the bed next to you, making strange noises, playing with your pajama sleeves and always trying to eat your neighbor's snack. And you're wondering what those strange pigtails are and why her eyes are blue when your beloved backyard mouse had yellow ones and when she came to cuddle, they were glowing amber with love.

In individual planning, our users are provided with the development of motor skills, verbal skills, memory training, gaining new experiences or new knowledge about cats and life in the animal kingdom, establishing social relationships and their positive reinforcement in the rooms, creating friendly relationships between users in the Home, etc.

If the goal of our meeting is short-term and we focus on the experience with the cat, we only plan the time of the meeting. If we come repeatedly with the cat with a longer term goal, I think it is necessary to have some knowledge of the user, how he will react if everything is not in his direction. We plan the time of the visit, the duration, the topic, we think about possible risks for all participants of the meeting. The risks from the cat stem from its behaviour in a situation it may not like (its running away or scratching is not necessarily an attack on the person, but when the person sits down or rolls over in the bed, the cat registers the movement, the change and instinctively pulls its claws to keep its balance). Other risks are those associated with the health of the user - allergies, fatigue, emotional or social deprivation that may occur during a guided conversation, anxiety, fear, aggression. The owner of the cat also addresses the risks. For example, he asks himself questions: will the cat be willing to cooperate today, in an hour? Will she like it and transfer her energy? Or will she just look at people and go and settle into her crate, which for my cats means the end of the encounter?

Therapy with a cat is similar to therapy with a dog in some ways, and completely different in others. The cat may not know how to look at a dog and the dog may not know how to growl, but both are great listeners and companions. The weight of both therapists is different, e.g. you can't sit a Labrador on your lap so easily, but a cat won't hand you objects that have fallen on the ground. And position with a cat when the user is 1.90 m and 90 kg! Of course, working with children is different. Also, in my personal experience, you can't overload a cat as easily as a dog. He is, after all, a slightly different personality and will try very hard for your pleasure. The cat won't listen to you, but when it decides it enjoys the encounter, it tends to be an unforgettable experience.

I'd like to mention the concept of welfare - the well-being of animals, which is very important when working with any animal (pet) therapist. It is treated by legislation. Direct protection is provided by legislation that defines, prohibits and punishes activities considered animal cruelty (Act No. 409/2008 Coll., on the protection of animals against cruelty). Indirect protection of animals is defined by the regulations governing the treatment of animals and the protection of their welfare and health. These are documents whose main objective is not the protection of animals against cruelty, but whose content nevertheless contributes to the protection of animals (Act No. 166/1999 Coll., on veterinary care, as amended). It is up to the cat owner to know his or her animal and to be able to recognise that it is tired and its well-being is disturbed. Only a cat that is happy can fully develop its empathic abilities and transmit its energy, love, understanding and part of itself to us humans.

Therapy with a cat is always a team effort. My advantage is that I work at the facility where my cats go. Thus, I know the users and know what I can and cannot afford. If we go elsewhere with the cats, the owner of the animal needs to know the environment where he/she is going, know who he/she is going to, for what purpose, and know or anticipate possible risks (e.g. know about allergies, etc.). Collaboration with staff (nurses, physiotherapists, educators, speech therapists, psychologists) in other facilities is necessary; they are the ones who know their children, patients, elderly... They can provide very valuable information for the successful work of your feline therapist.

Therapy with your cat is a voluntary activity, free of charge for the user. It is sometimes quite demanding (bring two 10 kg cats in a crate somewhere!) and is not financially subsidized by anyone or anything. Maybe that's why there are fewer therapy cat teams than dog teams. The ones I know are dedicated to this activity with dedication and love - love for people and cats.

More information can be found, for example, at  www.felinoterapie.estranky.cz

Lucie Hastrmanová, DiS

Adapted with permission from the magazine

Social Services, Volume XII, No.# 6-7/2010, pp.34-35.