International Felinotherapy Association Newsletter

04/2025

Welcome to the first issue of the IFA monthly newsletter. We bring you news, inspiration, tips, and expert information from the world of zootherapy and felinotherapy.

Upcoming conferences and workshops

April 30, 2025 - The Link between Violence to People and Animals, IAHAIO

The Link between Violence to People and Animals, IAHAIO

Duration: 1.5 hours

Start: 4:00 p.m.

Fee: Free

Type: Online workshop

Language: English

Registration: Open

Link:Webinars | IAHAIO

Karen Pryor Academy

From Tricks to Treatment: Making Cooperative Care Fun

with Sara McLoudrey and Ken Ramirez

Live from The Ranch • Thursday, May 1 • 1:00 pm (PT)

On the next Live from The Ranch, Sara McLoudrey joins Ken Ramirez to demonstrate how to teach veterinary husbandry skills as tricks to make Cooperative Care more fun for you and your pet. Tune in live on YouTube on Thursday, May 1, at 1:00 pm (PT) for this free broadcast with live audience Q&A.

(https://t.e2ma.net/click/yiiuj2/i6tqxxq/yiaky0i>)

Pet Partners Online Conference 2025

• Date: June 6–7, 2025
•  
• Format: Online
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• Focus: Therapeutic techniques and training to improve communication and interaction between animals and humans in therapeutic contexts.
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• More information: https://petpartners.org
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Animal Assisted Therapy: Virtual Symposium

• Date: October 15, 2025
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• Format: Online
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• Focus: An online symposium on the use of animals in therapy, focusing on the latest research and practices in the field of AAI.
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• More information: https://animalassistedtherapy.org
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Online Summit on Animal-Assisted Therapies 2025

• Date: September 2–4, 2025
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• Format: Online
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• Focus: Improving care and approaches in animal-assisted therapy, including expert lectures, panel discussions, and case studies.
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• More information: https://animaltherapysummit.com
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Online conferences focused on animal behavior

International Animal Behavior Online Symposium 2025

• Date: July 17–18, 2025
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• Format: Online
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• Focus: Discussions and lectures on modern research in animal behavior, with the possibility of interactive workshops.
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• More information: https://animalbehaviorsymposium.com
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Applied Animal Behavior Online Conference

• Date: May 10–12, 2025
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• Format: Online
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• Focus: Applied ethology and behavioral techniques in animal behavior.
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• More information: https://animalbehaviorconference.org

Recordings

Online conference on animal therapy April 12–13, 2025, Ukraine

April 12, 2025 (Ukrainian, English)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_p8rJYMPOA

April 13, 2025 (Ukrainian, English)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwJhcoHaJP8

Facebook groups and pages

Animal Assisted Therapy | Facebook

Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy Interpersonal Neurobiology of Trauma Nerds | Facebook

Felinotherapy Facebook

Felinotherapy | Facebook

Animal Cognition, the Emotional and Intellectual Lives of Animals | Facebook

Article of the month

Brief guidelines for the first steps in felinotherapy

First visits to the client's facility or family

D. Hypšová

If we are planning our first visit with a cat to a client's family or facility, it is necessary to start training and classical conditioning with the cat in its home environment well in advance. The following should be trained:

• handling the cat
• touching different parts of the body
• clicker training and the use of various training elements
• games with enrichment elements
• putting on and taking off the harness
• clipping claws
• brushing
• accepting treats
• training for voluntary participation in care (husbandry training)
• entering and exiting the transport box or stroller
• interaction with familiar and unfamiliar people in the home environment
• travel
• desensitization to smells and sounds of the environment where we will be taking the cat, etc.

The training method is described in detail in the Methodology for AAI – felinotherapy in institutions and in the courses Felinotherapy I, Felinotherapy – training, Theory of behavior modification I, and others.

A strong and deep relationship between the handler and their cat is essential and irreplaceable.

Desirable characteristics of cats include:

• curiosity
• enjoyment of contact with people, including strangers
• tolerance when encountering unfamiliar animals
• tolerance to unfamiliar sounds and smells
• ability to communicate
• willingness to change territory and travel
• spontaneity
• not overly excitable and quick to return to a calm state.

Stress markers include:

• unwillingness to accept treats in unfamiliar surroundings
• unwillingness to play and explore
• unwillingness to make contact

Handler or therapist – the cat's owner who works with it must be familiar with its body language and the body language of the client and any other AAI participants.

First steps in a new environment

1. Choose a quiet environment without distractions for the meeting. An individual visit or a visit for a small group of clients is preferable. Before the visit, explain to the clients:

• how they should move (slow, smooth movements)

• that cats like routine, rhythm, and rituals, and that they do not like chaos—for this reason, we have everything prepared in advance

• what tone of voice clients should use (soft, calm, slower speech)

• the principle of consent or agreeable behavior, which the cat must give us before the first touch. This is also known as the Michelangelo touch—the cat touches the offered finger or object with its nose or head to indicate its willingness to be petted.

• the hierarchy of touches—where the cat likes to be touched and where the client must not touch it

• that patience and respect are essential when approaching a cat and that nothing can be forced

• that the cat's welfare takes precedence over everything else, but that we always have a backup plan in case the cat does not want to actively participate

Clients can also learn about basic training elements, cat breeds, breeding issues, cat care, etc., depending on the type of intervention planned and the clients' abilities.

Using classical conditioning, we create pleasant associations for the cat associated with visiting the facility or family. Classical conditioning is the pairing of an originally neutral stimulus with a primary reinforcer (something that is vital to the cat, such as a favorite food or petting, attention from the owner).

1. We have prepared treats and a small snack for the cat (the cat should be fed approximately 2 hours before the planned visit so that it does not go to the facility or the client's family hungry). The treats and snacks we give the cat at the facility should be more valuable to the cat than its regular food. We therefore bring along treats or food that the cat particularly likes and that we do not normally give it at home. For the cat's protection and safety, clients give the cat treats that we have brought from home.

2. It is a good idea to practice simple behaviors at home for which the cat always receives a reward, such as touching a target, hunting treats from a cup, from a paper towel tube, feeding treats with a spoon, etc. This will make it easier for the cat to stay in a new environment, because familiar behaviors are part of its control over the environment.

3. It is desirable to train your cat to stay on a mat – for example, a blanket that you bring from home and which has your cat's scent on it – the principle of a base camp and control over the environment. You should ask a key person at the facility or in the client's family if you can leave the mat there to absorb the scent of the facility or the client's home. At home, we can then carry out gradual desensitization training (getting used to) to unfamiliar smells so that they do not cause the cat to feel insecure or panic. We can do the same with unfamiliar sounds, which we first record and then use for similar training at home. The training methodology is described in the Behavior Modification Theory I course.

4. The better the preparation at home with the cat and the more thoroughly the clients are familiarized with the issue in advance, the less initial nervousness there will be among those involved. Remember that emotional co-regulation makes it easy to transfer our nervousness to the cat or clients. The state of our mind and that of the clients and other participants is very important.

5. When entering the client's facility/home, we proceed in small steps, allowing the cat to explore the environment—it must gain the illusion of control over its surroundings. This includes free access to a safe place and a view of potentially dangerous areas (from the cat's perspective, such as windows and doors). Everything must be secured with the safety of everyone involved and the cat in mind.

6. We give the cat time – we never pull it out of the carrier or stroller by force – it is entirely up to the cat when it wants to make first contact.

7. The first visit to the client's facility or home should be short, about 15–20 minutes, unless the cat is under excessive stress. We closely monitor the level of stress. During subsequent visits, we can gradually extend the time to about 60 minutes. Monitoring stress and ending the meeting in a timely manner is crucial – if we do not pay attention to the cat's body language and the signals it sends us, we risk frustrating it, increasing its stress, creating negative associations with the environment and the activity, and possibly injuring the client or the cat.

8. Visits should initially take place in the same spirit and in the same way. If we change something in the environment, we must expect that this may unsettle and upset the cat. The fewer changes, the better.

9. Visits should take place regularly, at the same time if possible.

10. Visits to the facility or family should always end on a positive and happy note for both the client and the cat.

11. After returning home, it is necessary to let the cat relax. The method of relaxation is individual and depends on the preferences of the animal. This may include a longer sleep in a quiet place, play with enrichment elements (food puzzles), play to satisfy hunting instincts (fluttering toys, fishing rods), games to burn off energy – agility, etc. It depends on the cat's temperament and age.

This brief summary cannot cover the entire range of behaviors and situations that we as handlers/therapists must be prepared for. However, we all had to start somewhere, and practical advice can be useful.

Recommended reading

Bessel van der Kolk

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma

Czech: Tělo sčítá rány

ISBN: 978-8-075551-30-6

Summary: An essential publication on trauma, in which van der Kolk describes how trauma changes the structure of the brain, body, and mind. He emphasizes physical methods of healing—yoga, EMDR, somatic work—and their effectiveness. Very relevant for working with animals as safe "regulators" of the nervous system.

Peter A. Levine

Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma

Czech: Probouzení tygra

ISBN: 978-80-87249-21-5

Summary: A fundamental book on the Somatic Experiencing approach. Levine explains how animals in the wild process trauma naturally and how we can use these processes with humans. Inspiring for connecting the animal and human worlds in therapy.

In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness

Czech: Němé zpovědi: Jak se tělo zbavuje traumatu a obnovuje harmonii

ISBN: 978-80-7500-449-9

Summary: A follow-up to the above-mentioned book with deeper neurobiological connections. It explains the role of safety perception (polyvagal theory), physical movement, and the "completion" of defensive responses. Useful for understanding how the presence of an animal can activate the "ventral vagus."

Babette Rothschild

The Body Remembers: The Psychophysiology of Trauma and Trauma Treatment

Czech: Tělo nezapomíná: Psychofyziologie a léčba traumatu

ISBN: 978-80-7500-122-1

Summary: A clearly written book about how trauma affects the nervous system and the body. It offers practical approaches for regulating emotions and working safely with clients. It is suitable as a theoretical basis for connecting with the calming effects of animal presence.

Courses and education

• Institute of Sensorimotor Art Therapy, Australia

Online Art Therapy Courses | Sensorimotor Art Therapy®

• University of Edinburgh
• Animal Behaviour and Welfare | Coursera
• Animal Welfare in the Clinic | Coursera
• The Truth About Cats and Dogs | Coursera

• Johns Hopkins University
• Psychological First Aid | Coursera

• RICE University

Mindfulness and Well-being: Foundations | Coursera

• Independent Breeders Club

From May 6, 2025 - Extended online course Theory of Feline Therapy I with certificate (test questions must be completed) on Zoom. Opportunity for immediate feedback on everything you want to know about felinotherapy, videos, haptic stimulation in felinotherapy, the SIBAM testing model, Fe-BARQ, accompanying techniques, discussions with therapists/handlers, and much more. 11 lessons, 1 discussion, accompanying materials.

Contact: nchk@centrum.cz

Do you have a tip or want to share your experience?

We would love to hear your stories from practice, tips for articles, or events you would like to see in the next issue.

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