My Oscar's IS a PAT cat!!

I was in the vet's the other day and saw this leaflet for PAT (Pets As Therapy). Result, I have volunteered my Oscar as a PAT cat! We're going to have our assessment ina couple of weeks and in the meantime, I'm training him to the harness and lead.



I think he's make a great Pat cat as he loves people and every visitor to the close, never mind the house, gets a visit from him. I have also just discovered that he is a regular visitor to almost every house in the close and some of the kids even think he's their personal friend!! He has a lovely outgoing personality and I think he'll be a great hit with the old folk.

[ 30. October 2006, 10:49 PM: Message edited by: michaelmasdaisy ]

 

What a lovely boy he is, wow! He's very much like our Puschka we lost in December ... actually the body of Puschka and the face of Skwij, her brother lost two years ago! Memories! Aaahhh!

So, what is PAT? I don't know about this. How old is Oscar ... all details required!

 

Oh MMD Oscar is so handsome he looks a very laid back cat,bet you are very proud of him.

 

I'm looking again and I see a black body (just like my Magic Sam) up again Oscar ... who is that? It's not your avatar!

 

The extra bod was my darling Prudence who died last January aged 16�½ years. This is Prudy with TomTom, my avatar cat who adored her.



As for PAT - sorry, should have explained. It stands for Pets As Therapy. Volunteers take the dogs or cats round old folks homes, children's wards, special needs residences and such. It has been so proved that they stimulate the patients/residents and improve their general well-being. I'm told that whilst PAT has 15,000 PAT dogs in the UK, they have only 90 PAT cats!

Whilst there are many dogs who have a suitable temperament form this, there aren't that many cats and people don't realise that cats can do it anyway so they don't get volunteered. But apparently cats are very popular as many old folks, esp ladies, have had cats and they can take the cat on their laps where they can't a dog.

I feel so excited about it, I'm really hoping and praying that Oscar is suitable and will take to it. Being pure white, I'm sure he'll go down like a storm! And it seems a novel extension to my nursing career now I've been forcibly retired!

I was also chuffed to find the assessment will take place in the same kennels I got Oscar from in the first place - he was a rescue cat. They are excited about that as well and are already planning to film him on his first outing to promote both PAT and the RSPCA rehoming programme. Neat, huh?!

[ 30. October 2006, 10:50 PM: Message edited by: michaelmasdaisy ]

 

Well, I'm just about as excited as you!!! I've heard about animals visiting patients / old people / etc, and I can imagine why there are less cats than dogs ... but not such a spread :eek: ! Well, done, if your babe can be a babe then I'm proud for you and him!

Oh, and sorry about your Prudence ... such a beauty and I love the pic with her and Tom Tom .. they look so close and strange they both have that triangular bit around their faces ... two of a kind ... absolute beauties.

Oh, big cuddles and kisses (beijinhoses) to both Oscar and Tom Tom.

 

Sadly TomTom's love was not reciprocated! She would only tolerate him that close for a short while! But he was very tolerant of her moods. Big ol' softy!!

 

I'm sure he will be much appreciated! I used to know a lady who had a PAT guinea pig and lop-eared rabbit who were much in demand in the childrens' wards.

 

What a lovely idea, I'd heard of PAT dogs but not of using other animals. Can't see Polly the cat taking to it but the rabbit might.

 

Oscar has his debut tomorrow at 1430hrs.

Wish us luck. I'll try to get some pictures.

 

Best of luck, MD and Oscar! - loads of nice pictures, please!

 

Love & good wishes for tomorrow to you both.

 

MMD and Oscar- we'll be thinking of you both tomorrow, I bet he'll be a star! Let us have the news as soon as possible!

 

Well, what an experience! Oscar was an absolute STAR! He marched into the lounge and looked about as if to say "Well - I'm here!"

The very first lady whose lap he sat upon was so overcome she began to cry while he was rubbing his head round her fingers. He did a bit of prowling around sussing the place out, but mostly he was very prepared to check people out as well and be placed on their laps if they wanted.

There were two lounges with a long corridor between and by this time we had quite an entourage - the manager, two nurses, my area co-ordinator and me - and when we left the first lounge to go to the second, well, he just marched long ahead of us and I had to hurry to keep up with him! What a star!

Then having done the gracious 'meet and greet' with the next group, we all got chatting and he just laid down in the middle of the room and stretched himself as only a tom cat can! Like he'd been there for ages!

He also went into three or four (lost count) rooms and met the occupants there. By then I realised he was getting tired so called it a day.

My camera batteried died after a couple of photos but the manager was taking heaps and has promised the email them to me so pictures will follow later.

BTW, we've arranged to go back regularly, probably every couple of weeks and maybe take on another place or two.

 

Well done Oscar and MD! Wish I had seen him

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