Daughter gave a cat to her dying dad with dementia

Dying man with dementia comforted by the presence of a cat

The story, presented in the form of an infographic, is instructive. It tells us that when we can’t give a dying relative with dementia a present because they won’t understand what it’s for, they will instinctively respond to the presence of a cat or dog. Dementia or not, it seems that humans respond positively …

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Can cats be support animals? Yes, of course, but does the law recognise it?

Ian Fenn and Chloe

Can cats be support animals? Or can they be assistance animals? Or can they be emotional support animals? Or can they be service animals? The language and the law are muddled. It depends where you live. An American pet insurance company says that cats cannot be service animals because cats are not recognised by …

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Can cats help with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? Yes.

Animal assisted therapy for PTSD

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 …

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Dilemma: daughter needs her therapy cat but baby sibling is allergic to cats

Fel d1

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 …

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Dainty female cat acts like an alarm clock to help mother of severely handicapped girl

Speedy a therapy cat

Introduction This is the story of Speedy. There are two things about the story that need to be mentioned at the outset. Firstly, the story was published in a book entitled Wonder Cats in 2010 and Speedy was honoured by Cats Protection with a Rescue Cat Award in the Hero Cat category in 2008. …

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Cat detects when his sleeping owner’s blood sugar is low and wakes her

Hazel and Walter

“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 …

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Mom left the door cracked open a bit when she left and came home to find a random cat snuggling up to dad

cat snuggles

One of the most heartwarming stories I’ve read in a long time comes from a Twitter post by Andrew Falloon. The account lists Andrew as living in Timaru District, New Zealand where he is a Member of Parliament. Apparently Andrew’s father recently had surgery and was at home resting when Andrew’s mother went to …

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Wobbly and blind therapy cat provides emotional support to 88-year-old cancer patient

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 …

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