ANIMAL ASSISTED THERAPY

“ SHEBA DAY”

For the seniors in the 21st Century Seniors program, it’s not just any Wednesday; it’s Sheba Day. Sheba Day is the once-a-month Wednesday when Sheba and her human companion come to visit.

Sheba is a senior herself. Although she doesn’t look it, she has already celebrated her 18 th birthday. Only she knows about her first couple of years, but her most recent 16 years have been shared with herrescuer, Lynn Welter. When Lynn worked as a social worker on the south side of Chicago, she fed a couple of street cats that lived in the area. She thinks that the two cats may have been littermates because they looked the same. When Lynn was transferred to another office, she couldn’t leave the two cats behind, so she found a home for the male cat and took the female home to live with her and her other cat. Sheba finally had a home!

When Lynn retired, she looked for an opportunity to volunteer and blend two of her passions in life: cats and working with seniors. She had been a social worker specializing in services for seniors and she had been a life-long cat rescuer. She contacted Tree House and was put in touch with Chris Collins, the Director of the Animal Assisted Therapy program. When Chris told Lynn about the opportunity at 21st Century Seniors, Lynn knew that this was just what she was looking for.

Normally volunteers take Tree House cats for the Animal Assisted Therapy, but Lynn wanted Sheba to be her partner. Chris assured her that she could use Sheba, if Sheba proved that she had the appropriate behavior and personality. Chris accompanied Lynn and Sheba on their first visit to 21st Century Seniors to evaluate Sheba’s skills. As Lynn knew all along, Sheba was a natural. Lynn says that Sheba provides an opportunity for the participants to re-live certain positive experiences they had with animals in the past as well as a chance to enjoy a positive experience with a companion at the present time when they may no longer be able to keep a pet of their own. "One person in the group had been bitten by a dog when they were younger and didn't like animals when we first started," Lynn explained. "Now she has learned to trust and enjoy animals, thanks to Sheba."

Sheba’s specialty is laps. She is an excellent lap-sitter. During the sessions, she moves from lap to lap, making sure that all of the 10 to 20 people get some quality Sheba time. On the days that Sheba and Lynn visit, more people participate in 21st Century Seniors program than on most other days! Sheba loves the petting, the scratching, and the loving words. The seniors enjoy the total acceptance and love Sheba gives and any of them are reminded of pets they loved throughout their lifetime.

Most of the seniors do not have pets now, so the Sheba visits fill an important void in their lives. A lovely woman named LaVerne even crocheted a blanket for Sheba. The seniors not only enjoy Sheba and Lynn’s company; they use the opportunity to discuss pet related issues like pet over population or stories about animals in the newspaper. Lynn also noted that everyone in the program has become comfortable and competent at handling while handling Sheba. "They feel good about themselves when they are with her," Lynn said. "It's nice for them to feel that way."

When this Tree House reporter visited 21st Century Seniors, the members wanted to share their feelings about Sheba’s visits. Margo stated that Sheba was “Joy.” LaVerne stated “Wonderful.” Delores, who had been injured by a dog when she was a child, stated that Sheba’s visits were “without stress.” Susan recounted how she and her housemates had rescued an alley cat, now named Bob, because of her experiences with Sheba. Norman described Sheba as “One of God’s little creatures.” Edward stated simply “Very nice.” Allan and Vito were speechless and let their expressions speak for them. Obviously they truly enjoyed having Sheba purring on their lap. Perhaps Sheba’s impact was best summarized by another of the seniors: “When I’m with Sheba, I forget about my problems.”

The Animal Assisted Therapy program brings the joys of animal contact to many people who can not have pets of their own. If you want further information on this valuable program, contact Chris Collins at 773-784-5488 ext. 228.