A Michael Broad Blog
UK: Emotional support dogs and/or therapy dogs (or cats) are not protected in law in the UK and therefore there is no obligation for an employer to allow them in the workplace with their owner. It’s down to each employer (organisation) to decide if an employee can take an emotional support or therapy dog …
This discusses the advantages of ‘virtual’ animal-assisted therapy for seriously ill children. Instead of direct interaction aimed at enhancing the child’s life quality, this study had sick children become pen pals with similarly ailing cats and dogs. The pets’ owners received training to craft replies to the children’s letters, optimizing the benefits for the …
A recent study from Washington State University found “that students who exhibit the big five emotionality trait[s] are especially interested in cat visitations” according to MEDICAL NEWS TODAY. The Big five personality traits are openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness and neuroticism”. “Emotionality” means the strength of a person’s emotional response to stimulus. A high score …
The question is asking whether domestic cats can help a person get over PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). And the answer is going to be a qualified yes. The reason why I have introduced the word “qualified” into the last sentence is because people reading this want hard evidence through a scientific study that cats …
A teenage girl who lived with foster parents moved in with her real parents in 2019. Before the move she adopted a kitten. Her parents agreed that it would calm her down. She bonded with the kitten and the relationship calmed her. She said, “I bonded quickly and she helped me a lot with …
The question in the title was prompted because of a story currently in the online news media (San Francisco Chronicle) about a program at Laramie County jail in which domestic cats are being introduced into the jail to help rehabilitate selected prisoners. Black Dog Animal Rescue and the Laramie County Sheriff’s Department created the …
“The National Cat Awards is a wonderful celebration of everything we love about cats. In particular it shines a spotlight on the incredible bond that can exist between pets and owners.” – Calum Macrae, Regional Director UK & Ireland at Purina. Walter, a 9-year-old black cat, is a contender for the Cats Protection Hero …
Donny is his name. He is a grey-and-white tabby described as ‘the most charming cat in the world’ by North Shore Animal League America. What’s remarkable is that he is a certified therapy cat. He is a cat giving his time to help others when a lot of people might think that he needs …
