About three times a month, Mary Beth Lagenaur takes her 9-year-old cat, Willkie, to visit residents of Salem Place Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Conway. When she rolls the 19-pound fluffball into the nursing home in his stroller, patients sit up and take notice. He’s a sensation, a feline rock star to the folks whose days he brightens.

Some patients simply want to look at him, but others ask Willkie to sit on their laps so they can stroke his long, silky, black-and-white coat. He’s agreeable, a trait that makes him an ideal therapy cat.

Yes, a therapy cat. People have become accustomed to the idea of dogs as therapy animals, but cats of a certain temperament can also bring joy to patients in nursing homes, hospice and other facilities, says Mary Margaret Callahan of Pet Partners,a nonprofit organization in Bellevue, Wash., that evaluates and certifies pets as therapy animals.

“There aren’t a ton of cats who do this, but some cats have the right aptitude and temperament,” Callahan says. “They’re happy to meet strangers and accept petting from people they don’t know.”

“It takes an unusual cat to do this,” Lagenaur agrees. “Willkie is good because he’s so docile and willing to sit in laps for a long time.”

Cats suitable to be therapy animals don’t get nervous when they hear loud noises or are surrounded by a crowd of people who want to touch them, Callahan says. They also aren’t intimidated by strangers and will happily sit on their laps to be petted.

There’s no training for therapy cats; they either have the right temperament or they don’t. Cat owners, or handlers, do get some instruction before being evaluated in a mock situation that simulates a visit to a nursing home or other facility. “We have evaluators who watch how the handler handles the situation and if the animal enjoys itself and is comfortable,” Callahan says. “That determines whether a cat is going to be successful in a therapeutic environment.”

While some facilities don’t require that an animal be certified by Pet Partners or a similar program, most do. Pets registered with Pet Partners have had successful evaluations and are covered by the organization’s liability insurance, which some facilities require before allowing an animal to set a paw through its doors.

A cat owner who believes his cat would enjoy being a therapy animal should check out registration information at petpartners.org or call (425) 679-5500. Before submitting a registration form,an owner needs to complete a training course that determines if he and his pet are a good fit for the program. Online and instructor-led courses are available; Arkansas has two licensed feline evaluators whose contact information can be obtained through Pet Partners. The fee for registration is $95.

Lagenaur has been taking Willkie, who is registered with Pet Partners, to Salem Place for six years.

“The people at the nursing home just love him,” Lagenaur says. “What’s fun for me is seeing their faces just brighten up and get a big smile.”

Do you have a question about pets? We’ll get you an answer from an authority. Send your question to Rhonda Owen, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203 or e-mail [email protected]

Family, Pages 34 on 08/28/2013