There is so much information out there about therapy dogs and how they improve the lives of those who are lucky enough to have the opportunity to enjoy being with a canine.

It is a thing that cats provide therapeutic benefits to humans as well. More and more animal assisted interventionists are including cats in their practice.

For more info on this check out - www.petpartners.org, www.aaaiponline.org

When I think of my own experience with my cats, there is a great deal of truth to this.

The first kitten that I fell in love came about by pure accident. When I was a teenager, my friend brought a cat to my house, as she thought it needed a home. Notice she didn't take it to her house...

It ended up this was a cat with kittens ready to be born. She had her eight kittens at our home and my Mom and I enjoyed watching them nurse, grow and be ready for new homes. My Mom was a true champion of animals and she made sure all seven had good homes to live out their lives. There was one, the littlest, that I had fallen in love with. It took a lot of smooth talking and my Mom decided to let me keep him. He was jet black and one cool cat. He lived a great life and one day he just went away. We learned later that cats often will go find a quiet place to leave this incarnation without any fuss or muss for anyone who loved them.

After that my first husband and I got our first pet. A grey kitten from a pet store. We named him Mikey and we loved him dearly. He was a great pet and was there when our children were born. He also had the pleasure of welcoming a little shipoo puppy into his world. He was a beautiful soul and we were blessed to have him as part of our growing family.

After Mikey went to kitten heaven my kids really wanted another cat. I was hesitant and we didn't jump on the idea right away.

One night my husband and I were at a party and we heard something crying in the hedge when we got out of our car. There was a cat in the bush who had been injured. The friend who we were visiting was a dentist. I took the cat to the front door. He said, "Lori I am a dentist not a vet. I will get you a clean towel for the cat."  We cut our visit short and took the cat to an emergency veterinarian. It turned out the vet was quite sure the cat had been hit by a car. She had spinal cord injury and needed to have her tail amputated. She had also lost the feeling in her lower abdomen and her bladder needed to be expressed manually.

The vet was so kind and did not charge us for the emergency care. We named her Noel, as it was at Christmas that we found her. We took her home and intended to care for her and love her. It was not too long in that I realized with two young children, a full time job as a teacher, and a young dog, that this might be too much for me. I made an appointment with the veterinarian to see what could be done to help Noel. I was even open to euthanasia if that was the best for her.

This incredible veterinarian decided that she would become the clinic cat. They had the medication she needed to keep her bladder from getting infected and it was no big deal for them to care for her paralysis and all that went with it. I was overwhelmed with their generosity. Our family agreed this was best and said goodbye to Noel with love to enjoy her new home.

As a teacher, I took my first opportunity to provide cat therapy as part of my writing program at school. I was teaching Grade 5 at the time. I had been telling my students all the trials and tribulations of Noel and how she was now living at the vet clinic. They came up with the idea that they would write thank you notes to the veterinarian. They wrote the most beautiful, heartfelt letters. Each letter spoke about the value of this cats life, the incredible generosity of the vet and how they had learned so much about what it means to care about something outside of themselves. We turned the letters into a laminated bound book and I took it to the vet office. I am sure it still sits on the front counter for all to see when you first go into the reception. Speaks volumes of the quality of care your pet will get at their location.

I knew this was powerful stuff. I knew the value of using that experience to motivate students to write from their hearts and be proud of their writing. I knew the importance of the social learning and being agents of global improvements. I did not know I was practicing Animal Assisted Interventions at the time. When I look back over my career as a teacher there are so many times when by accident I sought out the power of animals to teach.

So, my own kids still wanted a cat. I was okay with waiting.

One day I was working away in the house and the kids were playing out with their friends. I heard Mom, Mom look. I turned around to see them holding this adorable little orange kitten. We lived in the country. She was a feral kitten and we loved her right away. Off to the vet and I didn't even have time to get her spayed and she was going to give us more kittens. The kittens were born soon after. Three of them on my bed with our whole family watching with wonder.

My Mom again stepped up. She was having radiation treatments at the time and she took every opportunity to talk up these little kittens who needed good homes. We had started the process and adopted out one little boy. The kids were good with it as they knew this little guy named Elvis was going to be loved.

That evening Mommy Rose was hit by a car and she passed away. How could I give away these two daughters now.  So we kept Lily and June. Beautiful long haired cats. I had a teacher friend who said in her next life she wanted to come back as a Johnson pet.

The last kitten I rescued off the road. She was a feral barn cat most likely and I probably could have left her to just do her thing.

Oh no...I decided to take her up to the humane society and asked them to find her a good home. The intake worker was a former student of mine. She asked if I wanted to know how it all went. Of course I wanted to know. Three days later they called and were going to euthanize her. She was "unadoptable." No, that was not happening. I went back and adopted my own kitten.

She was not a kitten. She was a 4 lb fully grown cat. Who knew how old she was. She was feral alright. Scared of everything.

Well, twenty one years later, I still have her. She is my Jade. She loves the warmth of me when she sleeps at night. Four pounds is a skinny little thing. So I have a guest on my side constantly. She can't wait till I lay down so she can snuggle up and purr. She greets us

by rolling over and talking. She loves to talk. Ask my husband.

I know the day is coming for this little therapy cat to head to the rainbow bridge. I can't be disappointed. A feral barn cat who turned out to be my strength and sweet soul through so many of the difficult times in life.

Cats rule and yes cat therapy is a thing...I know first hand.

For more information check out - www.petpartners.org, www.aaaiponline.org