Seattle Children's Hospital Uses Cats To Cheer Up A Cancer Patient

I was reading an article about the Seattle Children's Hospital improving the stay of a homesick teenager with cancer who missed her cat. They created a "Cat Immersion Project" with the help of their Facebook fans.
Here's the article.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_...mmersion-project-for-homesick-cancer-patient/

 

Cat Immersion Project?

For a moment there I thought they can up with a new technique to cure cancer by putting a cat in the same bathtub as the patient. It's a good idea, really. Hopefully they will extend the program to include real cats in the hospital.

 

I think it's amazing that they were able to gather 3000 pictures in such a short amount of time, all by random people wanting to help and be involved. I'm sure it made her day. <3

 

I know, right. It's so sad that they couldn't at least bring her cat to visit her, but you know hospitals have to keep a sterile environment. Wouldn't it be cool if they set up an animal shelter next to a children's hospital and the kids could go next door and visit the animals as part of their therapy and recovery?
Part of recovery is mental and the animals would cheer them up.

 

There are other hospitals that bring in animals. They have to keep areas clean, but especially in rehab areas, having dogs or cats as companions can be especially therapeutic.

 

That's nice of them. But, I thought before I read the article that they were actually bringing her a live cat which would be REALLY cool. I have heard of dogs being used and was wondering how on earth they were managing a cat in hospital. I think a cat in a hospital would be disastrous though. It would spend the entire time trying to get away. Cats are meant for home....

 

I am not so sure about the cats trying to run away all the time. I have seen some stray cats who are living around the hospital near my house. They seem to be very happy to be there. Of course, they know better than to get inside the wards, though.

I like that idea about having an animal shelter twinned with a hospital. Then both the animals and the patients can benefit from each other.