Therapy Cat Tales: How Tabby Travels on Public Transportation

Tabby writes:

Today's Pet Travel Safety Day, so I'm writing about how I keep safe while traveling on public transportation.  When I'm in the car, I ride on harness & leash or in a carrier like the kitty pictured above.  However, when I go visiting the nursing homes and other places, I usually ride the bus or the MAX light rail train with Mommy.

This is my stroller.  It's specially-made for pets!  People think it's a baby stroller, but the top folds out and the mesh comes up so it's fully enclosed.  We decorate it for holidays, like these heart stickers for last Valentine's Day.

Heimdall also likes riding in the stroller, but usually only around the house after I get back from my visits.  He likes to roll places, mol!  Mommy is training him to go places, too, so he rides the same way I do.  Since Heimdall's in training, he isn't allowed to ride just on harness and leash.  He has to be in the carrier bag as well.  It fits right in the stroller and has mesh so we can see out.

When I go places on the bus, I have to be in the carrier bag also, because the bus rules for both the Vancouver buses (C-Tran) and the Portland public transportation (Tri-Met) say that all pets must be in carriers.  Some bus drivers don't consider the stroller an adequate carrier, so the carrier bag is taken out of the stroller and the stroller is folded down.  On the MAX light rail, I can stay in the stroller because strollers don't have to be folded down.

Animals that participate in animal-assisted therapy have to abide by the rules for pets, not the rules for service animals.  That's because we are still considered pets.  Service animals help only their owner, and with specific tasks for medical and/or psychological reasons.  Emotional support animals are pets but have specific housing regulations and airline regulations.  Therapy animals are pets that are trained with their owner to help other people in a variety of situations.  We can help random people on public transportation, but that is a side-benefit and does not grant us extra legal protection.  We are pets, first and foremost, and then we help people in specific settings like nursing homes, hospitals, schools, and therapists' offices.

These rules and laws help keep me safe on public transportation and out in public in general.  When I'm in my carrier bag, no one can pet me without my humans' approval because my carrier bag is zipped shut.  I also cannot escape from it, so if I get scared I can't run in an emergency.  I prefer to ride in my open stroller like in the Valentine's Day picture, but I also know that my carrier bag is my "safe zone" and ask to climb in it when I'm unsure of a situation or am too tired to visit anymore.

Dogs are another reason I like being safe in my stroller.  This dog actually wanted to hop in my stroller with me!  Another time, a husky actually picked me up.  When my stroller mesh is zipped, they can't get to me.  When it's unzipped, like this picture, my humans keep an eye out for dogs, small children, and other potentially-hazardous situations.  Most dogs get along well with me, but there are always exceptions.  That's why it's good to know the pet's boundaries and monitor the situation.

Safe travels, my friends!  Always follow the rules for pets on public transportation!

Therapy Cat Tales from 2/22/12

Tabby writes:

Hmph!  S. invited Little Bit to come along on my visiting day, too!  It wouldn't have been so bad, except I had to share the stroller with her and she wanted to lie on me instead of in the stroller!  At first, she was in the stroller like she was supposed to be, but then she decided that it was more comfortable to be on me!  Hissing at her didn't stop her, so I swatted.  Mommy separated us, and no one was hurt, but I was in a grumpy mood for my visit.

We ran into one of Mommy's friends from high school on the bus, so that was fun to meet her.  She and Mommy talked for a long time, but she petted both Little Bit and me as well, complimenting us on our soft fur.  She rode the MAX train with us, too.  On the MAX, there were two guys who had seen me before, but another passenger hadn't.  One of the guys who had seen me before was telling the new guy about my work and how spoiled I am, having my own stroller and clothes.  He jokingly said that Mommy even dresses us in diapers, and the guy believed him!  The new guy asked Mommy if that was true, and she laughed and told him no.  Everyone had a good laugh about that!

S. wasn't at H. when we got there, but R. was.  She met Little Bit, who was freaked by the doors opening automatically.  Little Bit tried to go into the corner and also tried to go into R. and V.'s office, but Mommy wouldn't let her.  Little Bit calmed down after she got to sit on Mommy's lap, though.  We got our list of people to visit and went back out to the hallway.  Some people were getting a tour, and saw us right away.  They were introduced to us, and Little Bit climbed on Mommy's shoulders.  I was being very good and stayed in the stroller!  I was a very good example.  Mommy explained about our work and told them Little Bit was visiting for the first time (and still in training).  Then we went up to visit our friends.

I stayed in the stroller most of the time, but Little Bit hopped out and said hi to people.  She rode on the stroller canopy instead of in with me, so that I wouldn't get hissy or swat while we were visiting.  I did swat once, but that's when she hopped back in one time, so she broke the rules first.  Everyone loved Little Bit just as much as they love me!  They petted me and paid attention to me, too, but Little Bit was the star this time.  G. rubbed her face and she snuggled with S., except she didn't want to snuggle against S. like I do.  She wanted to lie on the bed, but not totally snuggle with her.

Mommy was pleasantly surprised when we got to one room, because two of her church friends were there!  We got to meet L., who usually lives on another floor but needed to have a nurse look after her for a while.  V. was there visiting L.!  Little Bit went to greet them while I greeted L.'s roommate and picked a snuggle spot on the bed.  After a while, Little Bit went to snuggle against V. and I got to see L. and V., too.  L. had a book on her little table, so I didn't know if I was allowed to be up with the book.  As soon as it was moved, I settled down on the table and got petted a lot.  I know the rules!

Little Bit doesn't know the rules, but she's learning.  She wanted to go in R.'s closet, but she wasn't allowed in there.  R. is a new friend, and absolutely loved visiting with both of us!  When she opened the door and saw kitties, her eyes just lit right up!  She sat on the floor to pet us, and petted both of us equally.  *purrs*  I stayed in my stroller, but Little Bit wanted to explore.  Mommy kept her reined in on a short leash, though, so she wouldn't get into trouble.  Little Bit didn't like that very much, but she loved all the attention and being in a new place.  After a couple minutes, she went over to R. on her own and climbed on her for pets.  Little Bit broke a rule, though.  She jumped up on R.'s counter!  R. told her it was ok and offered her water, but Little Bit wasn't thirsty.  I wasn't, either.  I was just sleepy.

On the way home, Little Bit tried to snuggle on top of me again, but I wouldn't let her, so we snuggled side-by-side.  Well, she was still on top of me for some of the time, but not all the time.  We stopped at Petco to see if they had a bag carrier on sale, and ended up getting a really nice one for only $14, when it originally was over $50!  Little Bit hopped right in, so we got it!  The clerk loved seeing us and came around the counter to pet both of us.  I was just so happy that Little Bit had her own place to be, instead of on me!

Therapy Cat Tales from 12/10/10

The rain held off this time, and I was all comfy in my new carrier with my new, warm, fleece raincoat.  :)  It rained a little, but just drizzling and not pouring.  I can't wait until it snows again, though!  I like watching it float down!  When we were at the first bus stop, Mommy took my picture so everyone can see what my new carrier looks like strapped to my stroller.  We have to use both on some of the buses, so that's why we have the new carrier.  This is the one I picked out at the Halloween party, and I love it!  The bag hanging from the stroller is the carrier's bag; it folds down to fit in that.  Very handy for us!

I got some chin scritches from a couple of fellow bus riders while Mommy talked with them on the way to Portland.  Then I got to get out of the carrier and into the stroller.  Boy was I ever surprised when I looked out and saw a GIANT tree!  It was 75 feet tall!  It's the Portland city tree, and it's all decorated with lights!  Mommy says we're going to have a real tree like that in the house this year, only it won't be that tall.  Will it smell as good?

There were trees at H. as well when we got there, all decorated and pretty, but they were fake like the tree we have had the last few years.  I didn't get to investigate them too closely because there were also poinsettias and those can make kitties very sick.  Pretty to look at from a distance, though, but I knew not to jump up by one.

The first thing I did when we got to H., besides go up to the office door, was to go in and show off my pretty new coat to everyone in the office.  I'm very proud of it, and love how toasty-warm I am in it!  :)  >^..^<  Then Mommy showed off my Christmas dress that I'm going to wear for visiting on Christmas Eve.  Yes, I'll be sure to have her take pictures of me in it!  The ladies loved my coat and dress just as much as we do.

As we were getting ready to go up to visit with my friends, a student from the local high school came in.  A group was coming for their first day volunteering.  They were all excited to meet me, and most had never heard of animal-assisted therapy at all, let alone a kitty having a job as important as mine!  They followed us all around while I worked, nine of them, while Mommy explained the health benefits (mental, physical, emotional) of interacting with me.  I kept on looking at them, making sure they were following me, as I went into rooms.  I was soooo proud to show off my skills, do my tricks, have them meet my friends, and have them learn about my work!  Ears up, tail up, proud walk!  :)  >^..^<

We had a short visit because some of the people were gone on adventures outside the building (to the store or elsewhere important) and others were sleeping.  As we were walking to the MAX light rail, we saw a squirrel in the park, eating a nut.  I was too tired to even be bothered by it, but Mommy took a few pictures of it.  I rested on the way home, because being a teacher for a day is very tiring!  We heard about other bus riders' kitties and angel kitties on the ride home, once they found out they were riding with a cat.  I always bring out stories in people, and I love it!  Mommy loves hearing the stories, too.

I went someplace!

Smokey the foster kitten here, to tell you about my great adventure last evening! I've been begging and begging to go outside, and finally Foster Mommy said I could! But she wanted to put me in the carrier to go out. I didn't want to go in there, but she said that was the only way she was letting me out, and I was going to go with her to her class. Well, I didn't know what a "class" was, but I knew I wanted to go somewhere, so I let her put me inside the carrier.

First we walked down the street. I thought ok, I've been here before, what's so great about this. We walked by where the bunnies were, and then I started really looking around. I'd never been this far down the road before! We actually crossed the road! We waited a bit, then a big scary monster came and picked us up. Foster Mommy said it's called a "bus". It spit us out after a bit, then we waited for another "bus" to come chomp us.

Waiting for the bus. I want out to explore!

Ewww! Why do humans leave cigarette butts on the sidewalk? Why do they smoke at all?
Those cars are loud, but I want to see them!

Finally we were at "class". It was a big building with carpet and lots of new people. They all spoke a funny language I didn't understand, and Foster Mommy was the leader. She says it's called "Norwegian". She let me out of the carrier, and I walked around on the table then explored the room. A couple times during class, I hopped back on the table for pets from Foster Mommy or to look at all the other people and say hi. I also took a nap on a chair for a while.




After class, I jumped up on the piano to investigate it. Then we went on the "bus" monster again, back home. I knew when we were almost home, and started to get very wiggly inside the carrier. Foster Mommy didn't let me out until we were inside, though. I went right over to the food bowl to eat, because I was hungry from all that adventuring!

P.S. Foster Mommy says she made an appointment for my spay. She says Starla and I are going in on March 4th.