The 67-year-old Amanda, Ohio, resident then does the same for her 5-year-old dilute tortoiseshell cat, Lola-Pearl, who is missing her left hind leg. Ohio cat owners turn amputee journey into a beacon of hope with animal therapy(Unsplash)The duo is one of an estimated 200 therapy cat teams registered in the U.S. through Pet Partners. Click here“A therapy animal is an animal who’s been assessed based on their ability to meet new people and not just tolerate the interaction, but actively enjoy it,” said Taylor Chastain Griffin, the national director of animal-assisted interventions advancement at the organization. There’s abundant research on other therapy animals like dogs, she said, but there’s often a “shock factor” involved with therapy cats because many don’t know they exist. “She was so good with people I just knew she would be a good therapy cat," Mengel said.

Source: Hindustan Times December 22, 2023 16:37 UTC