It was a little quiet at the children’s hospital on Monday after the Thanksgiving weekend. The lobby was mostly empty, and the first two exam rooms we stopped in weren’t ready for therapy pet visits. However, in the next room the human took me to was a quiet little girl and her mother. At first, my mom said I wasn’t the kind of therapy they were waiting for. That was kind of funny! My human had to explain that it was a treatment I was offered while waiting for the actual treatment. Then she understood and we stayed there until the nurse came.
The next patient we saw was the happiest little girl ever. She was wearing a pink printed dress and when my human asked if she wanted to meet the kitten, she enthusiastically replied “Yes!” She really enjoyed visiting with me and I showed off some tricks.
I also saw a 10-month-old girl who had a cat at home. I was worried that her mother would try to grab my ears and fur like she does with her own kittens. But she was really distracted by everything – the room, the strange looking equipment, the toys given to her to keep her occupied – and after the first petting part she forgot about me. Ta. Maybe it was the same.
One of my favorite patients was a boy who looked about 13 years old. He was on an IV and was so happy to see me. He loves cats and really enjoyed getting his paw shake from me. During another visit, he saw one of our program’s therapy dogs. So when my human pulled out his Instamatic camera, I didn’t have to explain that the photos were free.
Before heading off to surgery and rehabilitation, I briefly visited a girl in the lobby with a cast on her leg. The reception area was empty as staff were separated from surgical patients. That’s why my human was able to take a picture of me in all my holiday decorations. I don’t usually do that because I’m afraid it will get in the way.
After that, there was only one patient in the rehabilitation facility, and the last patient he saw, an older teenager, only had one leg. She was practicing with her PT tasks that most people take for granted, such as picking up things off the floor. She took a break to pet me for a few minutes before returning to practice.
So even if it was a quiet day, it was all about quality time.
