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While cats can have a reputation for being aloof, these furry felines have been shown to have deep feelings for their owners, including being able to sense when their owners are in emotional distress. 

Studies have shown that cats can help those around them destress, and their healing purrs bring relief and joy to those they interact with. This can make cats a great choice for acting as therapy animals, and while this is something you may often associate with dogs, therapy cats are a wonderful choice for people who need a lower-maintenance therapy animal.

Below, we discuss therapy cats and the benefits of adding a therapy cat to your treatment plan or adopting one to help benefit others.

What Is a Therapy Cat?

A therapy cat is any cat that has the characteristics of a therapy animal. Therapy cats will be friendly and unafraid, happy to play with you, provide cuddles, and interact with people they may be unfamiliar with. 

However, this doesn’t mean that a therapy cat will do whatever you want, when you want – they are still cats, after all. But it does mean that they will generally be more sociable, eager to explore, and happy to meet other people and provide them with cuddles and playtime.

Do Therapy Cats Require Training?

You may need to train your therapy cat in some basics, especially if you plan to take your cat to places like hospitals and assisted living facilities to interact with patients. In general, your cat will need to be litter box trained and know how to walk using a harness and leash. 

You might also want to teach them basics like sitting and coming when they are called; even though many think you can’t train cats, you can teach them these basics if your cat is food-motivated enough and has the personality for training.

What Are the Benefits of Therapy Cats?

Therapy cats bring many benefits to those they interact with, and both you and those who meet your therapy cat might benefit from the following:

• Reduced stress and depression
• Lower blood pressure, which can improve cardiovascular health
• Distraction from negative emotions, such as anxiety or loneliness
• Companionship, something that increases positive and healthy emotions

Additionally, therapy cats have been shown to reduce the symptoms of dementia, such as confusion, depression, and agitation. Regular interactions with therapy cats can bring about positive emotions and calm in those who need it.

Are Therapy Cats the Same as Service Animals?

While therapy cats are animals that provide assistance to humans, they are not the same as service animals. Therapy cats are not trained to help with specific disabilities, and they are generally not the best choice for individuals who need animal assistance with conditions such as PTSD or physical disabilities.

Additionally, service animals, as outlined in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), can only be dogs, and, in some cases, miniature horses. This means that therapy cats are not legally recognized as service animals under the ADA.

How Do I Turn My Cat Into a Therapy Cat?

If you wish to turn your cat into a therapy cat, you will first need to ask yourself some questions about your cat’s personality. After all, it takes a certain type of cat to be ok with training, going to new places, and meeting people. 

Your cat should be adventurous, unafraid to explore new places, and sociable. Cats that take a long time to warm up to new places or cats that don’t enjoy cuddling, meeting, and playing with new people are not good candidates for therapy cat work.

If you don’t wish to take your therapy cat to meet others, they can still be your personal therapy cat. There is less pressure for your cat to learn how to walk on a leash and be ok with strangers, but they must still be affectionate, eager to help, and able to comfort you when needed. Typically, if your therapy cat is not traveling to meet others, they might be classified as an emotional support animal for the sake of convenience.

Can I Take My Therapy Cat With Me in Public?

You might be able to take your therapy cat with you in public in certain situations. For example, if you are visiting a public place that allows animals, such as a park or a pet-friendly restaurant patio, your cat can likely come with you. Therapy cats are likely to be well-behaved, so you are less likely to run into issues when bringing your cat on adventures.

You can also take your therapy cat with you into animal-friendly stores such as pet stores and hardware stores (these are generally animal-friendly), and your therapy cat can obviously accompany you into any hospital, school, or nursing home you visit together, as long as your therapy cat has been cleared for a visit. 

Places where your therapy cat is unlikely to be able to accompany you include private businesses and spaces where you do not have permission to bring your therapy cat inside.

Are Therapy Cats Emotional Support Animals?

Therapy cats are slightly different from emotional support animals, though they can provide you with emotional support around the home. Emotional support animals (ESA) can be any type of animal, though cats and dogs are a popular choice, and the cat you adopt as your ESA doesn’t need to be especially sociable or eager to explore. You can adopt the most aloof of cats as your emotional support animal, as long as they bring you comfort and joy.

You will need to speak to your mental healthcare provider to understand what an emotional support animal might look like in your treatment plan. Your provider can help you evaluate the pros and cons of adding an ESA to your life and whether or not you can comfortably care for a cat companion.

Where Do I Get a Therapy Cat?

If you want to get a therapy cat, either for your own treatment plan or to help others, you will need to visit a shelter or rescue organization. It is possible to purchase specific breeds of cat to act as your therapy cat, and several cat breeds are said to have specific personality traits that better suit them to therapy cat work, but, at the end of the day, there are many cats in shelters that need a forever home and would be ideal therapy cats.

Take your time when looking for a cat to adopt and make sure you don’t rush into this decision. Once you have found a cat to adopt, you can start to evaluate the rest of their personality and whether or not they are trainable; most cats are actually trainable with a little bit of patience. From there, you can take steps to make your cat an official therapy cat and start benefiting from their love and presence.

Do I Need to Register My Therapy Cat?

Typically, therapy cats are registered to distinguish them from regular cats and from emotional support animals. You may have to work with an organization such as Pet Partners to figure out what your cat needs to achieve before they are eligible to be a registered therapy cat.

Make sure to use reputable and verified organizations to register your therapy cat, and be wary of online services that simply offer you a piece of paper or a printable registration without evaluating your cat or holding them to a specific therapy cat standard. Websites like these might be scams.

How to Benefit From a Therapy Cat

Therapy cats can be wonderful companions both to their owners and the individuals they visit. If you are interested in adopting a therapy cat, your first step is to research what it takes to register one and evaluate whether or not you can incorporate them into your life. 

If you are more interested in adding a therapy cat to your life for your own benefit, consider exploring emotional support animals with a mental healthcare provider instead. No matter which route you go, you are sure to add a furry, friendly feline friend to your life that brings you joy and comfort.