Therapy Cat Tales from Last Friday

Tabby writes:

I have been pretty quiet at home, with the occasional chase up and down the hallway with my foster sister Little Bit.  So when I got to H., I wanted to WALK!!!  I hopped out of the stroller as Mommy was signing us in and getting her nametag, and took off towards the door to the office!  One of the residents was coming back from lunch and saw me, so she went right up to the desk and said, "There's a cat by itself over there!  It's not supposed to be there!"  Mommy told her that I was with her and that it was alright.

I waited until Mommy had signed in, but she was taking a little too long getting her nametag so I meowed at her to hurry up!  C'mon, Mommy, we've got work to do!  >^..^<

She FINALLY got done at the desk and let me in to the office.  I went right up to see all my friends there while she put her stuff down and got our visiting list.  Then, off we went, with me walking.  I even walked up to the elevator!  I wouldn't cross that space that goes down forever, though.  That was way to scary for me!  Mommy lifted me over it, and I was just fine standing in the elevator while it moved.  Then, there was that scary space again, so I got lifted over it again.  I gave it the evil eye just in case, though!

As usual, as soon as we stepped out of the elevator we were "on".  Chairs turned, walkers moved, and people were calling for me.  I love it!  I walked right up to the first person and rubbed up against her, then Mommy lifted me up onto her lap for some petting.  We went to the tv/sitting room and I sat with three more people there.  One lady clicks her tongue when she's petting me, which confuses me a little because that sound is what Mommy and Daddy use when I've been bad or when they want me to change what I'm doing.  But this lady just makes the sound all the time.  I'm getting used to it, though.  Mommy keeps reassuring me that I'm being good after the lady holds and pets me.

C. was in bed when we got to her room.  She's usually up and about in her chair, so that was unusual for me, and her bed was lower than it used to be.  I was able to walk right up to her bed and sniff the top of it from my height!  I got up with her and she was so happy to pet me!  I settled down for a bit, then walked around being petted.  After a while, I decided I wanted to sniff her face and touch noses with her.  She wasn't so sure about that, and looked at Mommy to ask what was going on.  Mommy told her that I was just wanting to say hi, so C. looked at me again and I leaned closer to sniff and touched noses with her!  She laughed and smiled at that!  I love her laugh!  I always try to make her laugh when I visit her.  :)

One of the ladies was getting a massage when we visited, so she was too relaxed to visit with me.  She was almost asleep, she was so relaxed!  Mommy talked with the massage therapist for a while, but then I was getting too restless so we walked to the next room.  That was more of a human visit than a kitty visit.

When we went to see if M. was in her room, she wasn't.  We visited some more people, then saw M. being wheeled back to her room by the massage therapist.  She said that was fine if we came too, so we followed along behind.  By this time, I'd walked around the whole floor and I was ready to stroll again.  I lay down on M.'s bed, taking a break from everything for a while.  I wasn't quite napping, but almost, just relaxing.  M., the massage therapist, and Mommy talked about cats, visiting, and memories.  When Mommy gets a car, she's going to ask the massage therapist for recommendations for additional places to visit!  That would be so much fun to go to more places, too!  We already are going to go visit an individual at another place on Thursday.

Our last visit of the day was to a lady who was really missing her own kitty.  She has been at H. for a little less than two weeks, and hasn't been able to see her own cat.  She's got a neighbor looking in on her cat and playing with her every day, but that's not the same as being there.  I visited with her roommate first, who's a dog person but loved me.  Well, everyone loves me, so why not?  Then, Mommy picked me up and set me on the cat lady's bed.  I immediately purred my best purr and went up to be petted.  I investigated toes and the table, then settled down with my chin resting on the lady's ankle and one of my paws wrapped around her foot, with my body against her leg.  I knew she needed some kitty loving!  While she and Mommy talked, I purred and kneaded.  At one point, Mommy wanted to pet me but I meowed softly to tell her that I was working and not to bother me!  She and the lady laughed a little at that, and agreed with me.  They both said I was doing an excellent job, and to keep it up.