Sparkle the Designer Cat's Blog, page 21

My Cute Fairy Hoodie

I’m finally modeling the hoodie you saw that I got the other week. Some of you noticed something sticking out of the back. You can see now that it was fairy wings! They are what inspired my human to get it.

Here is a side view of it on.

You can see the wings better with a back view. Did you also notice the little stars on the hood?

It’s kind of hard to model the hood and show off the wings at the same time, as you can see.

But one of the coolest things about this hoodie, is something you can’t see here in the grass. In fact, my human didn’t even notice until we were going back into the house.

The light shines through the wings and throws rainbow colors in the sun! This is definitely a keeper. Let me know what you think in the comments.

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Patients, Visitors, Staff–Therapy Cats Are for Everyone

There weren’t a lot of patients to see at the big hospital on this week’s therapy cat visit. But there were lots of family and loads of staff who wanted to visit with me.

My first stop was up at Pediatrics. They only had two patients, and one was in isolation. So we visited the boy. He was maybe 13, and he was very sick. His parents hovered over him, along with a nurse who was changing his IV. The nurse paused her work so we could visit. Since he was my first visit of the day, it took me a few moments, but I finally settled down and curled up next to him.

Since we had extra time, we stopped by the residents’ work room on our way to the elevator. And a couple of them squealed when they opened the door and saw me! A couple of them pulled out their phones and took photos. My human showed them I could shake paws, so one of them filmed me doing that.

Normally, it would have been time for me to go to Behavioral Medicine, but they weren’t having pet therapy this week, so I went to Labor and Delivery instead. Most of their patients weren’t feeling well, so I just visited with the nurses. They always love seeing me there!

Our last visit of the day was in Rehab. I usually don’t get to visit there because of my Behavioral Medicine commitment, but I had time today. And they had two patients for me. One of them was a middle-aged woman who was surrounded by family. One woman — a friend or sister maybe — was styling her hair. A couple of men were visiting too, and after I was done curling up with the woman, one of the guys wanted to see me too.

My final patient was a bedridden woman who had two cats at home she was missing. I was happy to spend time with her, and she was really nice. It sounded like she was going to go home in a couple days, so that was good.

Even though there were just a handful patients, it turned out to be a really busy day!

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Why Cats REALLY Hate Belly Rubs (More Complicated Than You Think)

I love belly rubs, but most cats don’t. In fact, people like to joke that a cat’s belly is a trap because when they try to touch it, they get the infamous four footed attack.

Most people understand, at least intellectually, that this is an automatic response to a cat’s most vulnerable area being touched. But what’s really going on here? Why do cats really hate belly rubs? The truth is, a cat’s belly and their reactions to it being touched, are more complicated than you think.

Why belly rubs are an issue for cats

The cat belly is a very vulnerable area of their body. Some of their most vital organs – their liver, stomach and intestines — are protected by a mere flimsy flap of skin and fat called the primordial pouch. And the fur that covers this pouch is made up of hypersensitive hair follicles. (In case you are wondering, the same goes for the fur at the base of their tail — it’s also hypersensitive.)

So the belly is both extremely vulnerable and extremely sensitive. No wonder most cats don’t want it touched. Even the softest touch may be too much for some cats.

So why does a cat expose their belly?

When a cat exposes their belly, it’s not about you. It’s not an invitation for touch at all. It’s a way to relax and get in a good stretch. If they are doing it in a sun beam, it’s also a great way to regulate their temperature.

When a cat exposes their belly, it shows that they are comfortable in their surroundings. They are having a happy, private moment. Going up and touching them disturbs that moment. So of course they act out!

What if a cat clearly expects attention from you?

Sometimes a cat rolls over and shows their belly to a human, but it’s rarely because they want a rub. It’s a sign of trust and proves how comfortable they are around you. The fact that the peach kitty, who was raised feral, does this around my human is really a pretty big deal. And of course she never tries to touch his belly.

Sometimes a cat rolls on their back because they are feeling playful. If you think this may be the case, wave an interactive toy nearby. They may take you up on some playtime. If not, no harm! Especially to your hand.

Why do some cats like belly rubs?

A lot of it has to do with personal preference and socialization. If a cat is handled respectfully by humans from a very early age, and if they have an easy going personality, they may wind up liking belly rubs. That explains why I like them.

It’s also a sensory thing. While it may be overstimulating for some cats, others may have a higher tolerance for that type of sensation.

And of course a lot of it has to do with trust too. A cat that allows belly rubs is a very trusting soul. If one accepts belly rubs, but only from you, that says a lot about your relationship with the cat.

Can I get my cat to enjoy belly rubs?

You can try! But it’s a process, just like any other behavior that may not come naturally to a cat.

Start when your cat is very relaxed. Stroke the very safe areas, like their cheeks and chin. If they are purring and enjoying it, try stroking a little lower — their shoulders, or the side of their body.

Don’t try to reach for their belly in one session. every step of the way, make sure they are comfortable, relaxed and purring. After a few times, brush your hands lightly over the fur on their belly and see how they react. If they stop purring, stiffen up, or twitch, you need to back off for now.

Repeated attempts may earn you a belly rub. Or you may never get there. Some cats just aren’t comfortable with it. To be honest, you are better off just appreciating your cat for who they are, and give them the kind of touches they enjoy most.

I hope you learned a new thing or two! Let me know in the comments below.

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My Fun Eleventh Birthday Party

I’m 11 years old today! Can you belive it? And for my birthday this year, I got to do some of my favorite things all day. First I got to pick out my own party dress to wear.

This is the one I picked, and my human matched it with a hat. I also got to do some hoop jumping.

And my human put together a cat food cake.

You can tell I was pretty excited about the cake!

And I even shared it with the peach kitty! You can see a video of my birthday below.

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Last Minute St. Patrick’s Day Party

The biggest problem with holidays is, if we want to include the peach kitty, we can’t count on him. He shows up when he wants to. So I had a St. Patrick’s Day party planned in case he did show up. We had everything early so if he was around, we could do a blog post for the holiday…and he never came around.

But then, on the morning of St. Patrick’s Day, there he was! So my human, who still had all the decorations and stuff in a bag, gathered everything together. And we came out to greet him.

So my human set out some decor she thought he’d like and we had a little party.

Of course we had lots of treats. Even though they weren’t green.

You can see the party in the short video below.

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Peeps Catnip Cat Toys! Were They Any Good?

If you’ve been to the store at all recently, you’ve probably noticed it’s Peeps season! And my human found these Peeps catnip cat toys. So of course she brought them home for me to check out.

They’re pink bunnies, not yellow chicks. Still authentic, but not classic.

To be honest, I wasn’t that impressed, so my human gave one to the peach kitty to see what he thought.

He was excited at first. But…well, you can see the video below.

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All Sorts of Sunday Silliness!

It’s time once again for Sunday outtakes. And I have all sorts of silliness for you this week.

When I was doing my touching random things practice, you had to figure there’d be at least one photo of me knocking something over. And there was!

I’m surprised I don’t get more outtakes like this during my photo sessions, considering all the treats I consume!

No, this is not commentary on the hoodie! It’s actually quite comfy.

And that’s it for this week’s outtakes! If you have a favorite, let me know in the comments.

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The Peach Kitty Allows Petting (Sort Of)!

The peach kitty stopped by for a visit!

We weren’t even sure if we were going to see him. We went outside because it was a pretty day. But he showed up just a few minutes after we came out.

As you can tell, he was happy to see me.

Of course, we both got to have treats!

One thing my human does a lot during our visits with him is pet me. She wants him to see her handling and touching me. That way, she thinks he’ll realize that it’s okay for humans to touch him too.

He used to sniff my human’s hand and back off, but he doesn’t do that anymore. And sometimes he even lets her pet him. He was especially friendly during this visit, as you can see in the short video below.

 

Our visits never seem to last long enough. All too soon, it was time to go back inside.

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Fun Shopping Day at the Big Pet Store

I got to have another shopping day! We’re almost out of my breakfast food, and my human took me to the big pet store this time.

They had a whole wall of clothes! But I can’t say I was impressed by much of it.

The store is huge, and it was fun to jump up on a platform and see the whole store from up high. And someone from a different aisle saw me and came around to pet me. So that was a double win!

My human tried to interest me in a cat toy display, which worked for about a couple of seconds.

This section was far more interesting! It was a cat tree wonderland.

I wandered all around the cat trees and condos for long time.

It was my favorite part of the trip!

My human finally picked up my food and we headed for checkout.

Oh, and I did get a hoodie while we were there. When I do a full modeling session with it, you’ll see why we got it.

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Why Aren’t There More Therapy Cats? The Myths – and the Truths

There is a big demand for therapy cats. Being a therapy cat who’s active on social media, that’s really obvious. So many humans are sad they don’t have therapy cats in their area, and they let me know. A lot of them mention that hospitals they’ve stayed in have therapy dogs…but as we all know, it’s not the same as spending time with a kitty. Because if you’re a cat person, you want the kind of warm fuzziness that only comes from felines.

One of the main reasons there aren’t more therapy cats is that there are a lot of myths that still exist about cats. Some of these falsehoods are even believed by people who love us kitties. So let’s look into those first.

The Myths About Therapy CatsCats aren’t suited for therapy pet work
Actually the opposite is true — with the right temperament and proper (and ongoing) training, cats make the perfect therapy animal. They’re smaller, softer and cozier than a dog is. A good therapy cat has an immediate calming effect on those around them.
 Cats are antisocial
The main reason a cat winds up antisocial is their exposure to humans…or lack of it. Cats that are handled from birth, or a very young age and exposed to many different sounds, environments, and human interactions have a great chance at becoming well adjusted, social animals. That was certainly the case with me.

As a show quality kitten, I had all this, and other training, like getting used to claw trims and baths. (Both these are needed for therapy cat work.) But a cat doesn’t need a pedigree to get this kind of training. People who foster rescue kittens can do the same thing.

That said, not all cats (or cat breeds) easily lend themselves to therapy work. But the same is true of dogs. (More on that later.)
 

Cats can’t be trained for this type of work
Training a cat to be part of a therapy pet team is different from training a dog. In fact, the whole training process with a cat is different from dog training, in both attitude and approach. But it’s not hard. You just learn a cat’s natural predilections and lean into them.

For example, some therapy cats are better in a stroller when they are making their rounds. I’d probably jump out of a stroller, but I’m fully leash trained. So I either walk on my leash or my human has me in a sling carrier.

Temperamentally, each therapy cat tends to have their specialties. My old therapy cat pal Josie was way more of a snuggler than me. Her human would hand her over to a patient and she’d go limp. I prefer choosing how I want to interact with people. And I do tricks like ring a bell, so my human often incorporates that into visits, especially children.
 

Some facilities are reluctant to allow cats as therapy pets
Sadly, a lot of hospitals and other facilities buy into the above myths, and others. Like they are worried a cat will scratch or bite, or that too many people will have allergies.

Therapy cats temperamentally are extremely unlikely to bite or scratch. We trust our handlers (our humans) to protect us, and we’re rarely faced with threatening situations anyway. My claws are trimmed so short that they can’t even be felt unless you handle my paws. And any animal can cause allergies. I’ve been in rooms with people who are allergic to dogs. And if someone says they’re allergic to cats…we just don’t visit with them.

Not All Dogs Are Suited for Therapy Work

That’s right! Actually very few dogs are right for therapy work. Dog owners tend to be more hands on with them than cat people are with their cats. So dogs do have a bit of an advantage with that. But there are lots of reasons a dog couldn’t do therapy work. Here are a few.

Therapy dogs need a calm, well-behaved temperament
If a dog is anxious, shy, aggressive or excitable, they are not good therapy pet material. Any type of resource guarding disqualifies a dog. They need to be willing to share toys, space, and their handler. There actually aren’t that many dogs that fit this criteria for a good therapy animal.
 Poor training
A dog’s human needs to spend a significant amount of time making sure the dog is well trained. Therapy dogs need to be oblivious to distractions, to sit, stay, heel, know commands like “Leave it,” and stay calm in the most hectic and noisy of environments. Some facilities don’t want dogs to lick their patients, and that takes training too.

The therapy pet evaluation for dogs is pretty detailed, and it’s not easy to pass. Cats just need to be harness and leash trained, accept handling by humans, be calm in big noisy rooms — and not be upset by the presence of dogs.
 

Some dogs just don’t want to meet strangers
This may surprise people who have had random dogs run up to them, but not all dogs are friendly! Some dogs have no interest in making new friends, or being hugged by strangers. So of course they wouldn’t make good therapy animals.The Real Reason Why There Aren’t That Many Therapy Cats

It really comes down to their humans! Having a therapy cat is a lot of work. It’s a time and training commitment. The therapy cat’s owner has to be comfortable around hospitals, the elderly (including those with dementia), and children.

It makes me wonder about my human, since she was totally resistant to all this! But she felt that there was such a need for therapy cats that she had to just get over all her dislikes. But not all cat owners can or want to do that. Some are very introverted, and have a hard time interacting with people. Some people have cats as emotional support. The therapy cat relationship is almost the opposite — the cat needs their owner/handler as emotional support on visits.

Here are some other reasons that make therapy cat work hard for some people.

The emotional toll
People who are highly empathetic might find doing therapy work difficult to handle. It can be emotionally overwhelming to be faced with sick kids, or old people who ask you the same question multiple times. I’ve visited people who we later found out died.

Fortunately my human is not an empath. She’s not uncaring (or she wouldn’t be doing therapy pet work), but she can keep from becoming too wrapped up emotionally in situations. So visits aren’t as draining on her as they might be for others.
 

All the rules!
Every facility has its own routines and set of rules and you are expected to adhere to them. Since the majority of places therapy pets visit are medical facilities of some sort, these rules are especially important and can’t be bent. One hospital we used to visit made their volunteers take tests regularly. We had to know what all the codes meant, like Code Red (fire or smoke), Code Pink (infant abduction), Code Blue (medical emergency), etc. Plus what to do in a lot of emergencies.

People who have a hard time following rules will have a hard time doing therapy work. My human is famously a rule breaker — but that actually puts her at an advantage because it also means she knows what the rules are. And she realizes that therapy cat visits are not the places for rule breaking. Nowhere else is safe, though!
 

Worrying too much about the cat
It’s important for a therapy cat’s owner to know how to deal with situations in which their cat may be harmed. But they also have to know how to do it without freaking out. When a toddler grabs my ears or tail, my human is right there to separate little fingers from me, but she does it without becoming upset. When we’re dealing with someone with severe dementia, my human keeps a close eye on them to make sure I’m safe. But she keeps a cool demeanor. If your heart rate increases every time someone else handles your cat, then therapy pet work probably isn’t for you.
 The time commitment
You need to commit to regular visits to facilities. You can’t just show up whenever. And when you are scheduled, there are people relying on you to be there. So there’s both a time commitment, and you have to be consistent. This is also good for your cat, because as you know, cats like routines, and it helps keep up their social skills. But if you can’t commit to keeping regular visits, this sort of volunteer work isn’t for you.
 You’re anti-vax and/or hate needles
Most facilities require that you have an annual flu shot. And to get certified, my human needed to get an MMR and a Tdap vaccine. Actually she already had the latter — she got it after Binga accidentally bit her once. But she needed to have it again after 10 years. Plus she has to have a tuberculosis test every year. If anything is stopping you from getting these, therapy pet work is not for you.

So there you have it — the real reasons why there aren’t that many therapy cats! I wish there were more of us, but it’s not the easiest form of volunteer work. Did any of these reasons surprise you? Let’s discuss it in the comments.

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