The Finding of a Therapy Cat: a series about Tinkerbelle, Registered Pet Partner Therapy Cat (retired) and our journey together.
By Mollie Hunt
Part 11: The man who had never petted a cat.
When Tinkerbelle and I answered the call to visit a new patient, we knew it would be something special – it always was – but we had no idea when we entered that nursing home room just how special this visit would be.
Art had never petted a cat before. It was hard for me to believe. To not have had a family cat is one thing, but to have never in what looked to be a very long life touched a feline seemed impossible.
Yet it was true. Art had grown up in rural Germany, where cats were barn animals and extremely feral. Bashful and smiling, the nonagenarian needed instructions… “You place your hand on her head, just so. Smooth down the back gently, so.” He did it, remarking how soft she was, how beautiful.
As Art told me of his childhood far away and long ago, he continued to pet Tinkerbelle. He was a natural.
About Tinkerbelle:
Tink served for four years as a registered Pet Partner Therapy Cat, visiting assisted living facilities and hospice patients. Tink is now retired and living the quiet life. Check out her Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/TinkerbelleTheTherapyCat/
About Mollie Hunt:
Mollie is the author of the Crazy Cat Lady cozy mystery series, featuring Lynley Cannon, a sixty-something cat shelter volunteer who finds more trouble than a cat in catnip. Mollie is a member of the Oregon Writers’ Colony, Sisters in Crime, and the Cat Writers’ Association. This year she won a CWA Muse Medallion for her 3-part blogpost series, “Life Stages”.
Like Lynley, Mollie is a grateful shelter volunteer. She is a longtime volunteer for the Oregon Humane Society where she socializes sad, fearful, and behavior-challenged cats. She also fosters sick and elderly cats in her home. In 2014, she had the privilege to work with cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy on a particularly thought-provoking case.
You can find Mollie on her Website: http://www.lecatts.wordpress.com/, her Amazon Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/molliehunt, and her Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/MollieHuntCatWriter/.
Sign up for her Extremely Informal Newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/c0fOTn.
Some barn cats ARE petted in Germany … it really depends on the cats and the people. Maybe because he was a boy back then he wasn’t supposed to …
very touching story, thanks
What a wonderful story thank you for sharing.x
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I have been ‘in- etween-cats’ now for a year. I just can not imagine not having had a cat. They I’ve such unconditional love. Looking forward to my next fur-baby! Cheers,H
So touching. Thanks for sharing.
When we got our cat Abby she was almost untouchable! We joked about her “gotta go” attitude because every time we tried to cuddle with her she seemed disconnected! She has calmed down over the years but is very talkative it has surprised us because she not only talks what she says has syllable and inflection! She is 17 now and is still pretty active!