Smudge

[missemt207]

 :paw:well I have a chocolate seal point himalayan 7y/o female kitty. she loves people. she just goes right up to anyone and just wants to be loved on. I have been told she would be a great emotional support animal. and have really thought  about doing it because I believe smudge would just love all the attention, and would just have a field day meeting everyone. now she doesn't really walk on a leash I have been told thats okay she will only walk were she wants to go on a leash.

the only thing that is stopping me from starting her on this is that one of my cats has been diagnosed with sarcoma which apparently was caused by the rabies shot. I have only been told that this can happen by two vets. thats why they stopped giving the shots in the neck. if the cat/dog get sarcoma its easier to romove a leg. well my other cat not smudge, got it in her back.

Smudge is an indoor cat, if I ever let her outside she loves to play chase me and catch me if you can but never goes anywhere out of my site, she always keeps me in her site. but mainly she is just indoors. I am just so scared to get her a rabies shot.

now if she was allergic to the shot it would be fine I would just get a note from the vet, and I wouldn't have to worry about it, since she is an indoor cat from what I have been told. but she isn't allergic to it.

so I guess I am just at a cross road. because I know smudge would really love it and the person said they could really use a cat.

Laura

[bj2circeleb]

I don't think you are fully understanding what an emotional support animal is. An emotional support animal is a pet that is allowed to live in no pets housing because they are a comfort to their disabled or elderly handler.

There are service dogs which are task trained dogs and which go into public places to assist the individual handling them with their disability

Their are also visiting pet therapy animals which go into hospitals and nursing homes, sometimes just to cheer people up, other times to help with actual therapy tasks, for example getting a child to walk or move by holding onto a dog during physical therapy.

[missemt207]

I don't think you are fully understanding what an emotional support animal is. An emotional support animal is a pet that is allowed to live in no pets housing because they are a comfort to their disabled or elderly handler.

There are service dogs which are task trained dogs and which go into public places to assist the individual handling them with their disability

Their are also visiting pet therapy animals which go into hospitals and nursing homes, sometimes just to cheer people up, other times to help with actual therapy tasks, for example getting a child to walk or move by holding onto a dog during physical therapy.

opps sorry don't know what I was thinking, I posted it in the wrong place. sorry!!!!!!!!!! dang now I don't know how to fix it

[Ilghaus]

That's okay. Now you know there is a difference between Emotional Support Animals and Therapy Animals so all ended well. 

[Shidash]

I think that training service cat would be extremely hard. Most trainers with experience training service dogs have no experience with cats. And I have never heard of a service cat program.

[blkpanther0001]

I have known a few service cats, they were really well trained. they could heal, sit stay, retrieve items on command etc... just like a dog.

I myself had a cat that would go for walks with the dogs even fetching her harness and leash to go on the walks. she would heal, sit , stay, down, sit pretty, roll over, shake hands, fetch, recall, high five, and others that I cannot remember any more. she got a tumer on her brain stem and I had her put down about 4 yrs ago, have not had a cat since then but am almost ready for one. She would also fall sleep with me every night nursing on my arm.

[missemt207]

oh wow, now thats a specail cat. I have never seen a cat do something like that I bed she loved the dogs playing with her leash.... what a jem

[Kirsten]

I trained Zak to retrieve and to walk on a leash.  He was never even half as reliable as one of my puppies.  Like most cats he performed when he felt like it.

On a more interesting note:  one of his favorite things to retrieve was a volleyball that the dogs would leave in the basement.  There was a baby gate set up in the doorway to the basement and this nutty cat would go down there and get that volleyball, carry it up the stairs, jump over the baby gate and then meander into the living room, howling muffled by the ball so all would turn and look.  The ball was much bigger than his head, so he could never see where he was going.  I still don't know how he made it over the baby gate 'cause I never actually caught him doing it.

Ruby eventually popped the volley ball and it had a burial at the end of our drive way in a black plastic bag.  Zak the cat is still doing well though he was recently diagnosed with thyroid cancer.  Treatment seems to be keeping him comfortable.  I long ago gave up telling Zak what to do and we haven't practiced his training in years.

[missemt207]

that sounds so cute....go for the gold!!!! soccer cat. tht baby gate...is something intersting, when they put there mind to something they want they go over those little baby gats or locking mach. that you put inside your door for the cat to keep her out.
my kitties plays fetch no matter what time it is. 3am in the morning and everyone is alseep she will bring you her toy and want to play fetch.