19 Cats And Counting

BIO:

Mary Margaret Callahan is the Chief Mission Officer for Pet Partners, where she is responsible for leading mission delivery including the therapy animal program and grassroots advocacy program. As an animal lover with a background spanning education and health care, Mary Margaret couldn’t be more delighted to find herself at the nexus of her interests and experience working to improve human health and well-being through the power of the human-animal bond.

The daughter of a veterinarian, Mary Margaret grew up surrounded by pets and has a deep appreciation for the strength of the human-animal bond. She joined Pet Partners in 2013 and has worked to establish the organization as both an influencer and a resource within the animal-assisted intervention (AAI) and human-animal bond (HAB) community. In 2018 she was named one of PetAge Magazine’s Women of Influence. 

Mary Margaret lives on a small farm outside Seattle with her husband, daughter and menagerie of animals including dogs, cats, chickens, goats, sheep, miniature donkeys and a rabbit.

Transcript:

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Announcer: This is Pet Life Radio.

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Announcer: Let's talk pets.

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Linda Hall: Emotional support animals, therapy animals, service animals, it's all very confusing.

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Linda Hall: And we have an expert, we have Mary Margaret Callahan, I can't help but say her name that way, who is the Chief Mission Officer with Pet Partners, and she's gonna fill us in on Therapy Animals Therapy Cats.

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Linda Hall: I have so many questions, we'll be back right after we're from our sponsor.

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Announcer: Let's Talk Pets on petliferadio.com.

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Linda Hall: Welcome back to 19 Cats and Counting.

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Linda Hall: I am your co-host, Linda Hall, here with my gorgeous spryder's eye, BFF, Rita Reimers.

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Rita Reimers: Rita has red eyes today because of the pollen.

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Rita Reimers: You should see my red car is green.

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Rita Reimers: It's just covered with pollen.

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Rita Reimers: I don't like it, but enough about me.

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Linda Hall: You have 18 cats in your house, I have 11.

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Linda Hall: I wanna talk to Mary Margaret, and I want us to each determine which cat would be most likely to be a therapy animal.

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Rita Reimers: I think I already know in my house, there's two.

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Rita Reimers: I think it would be Oliver and Sweetie Pie.

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Linda Hall: Oh, Oliver, yeah.

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Linda Hall: Probably right.

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Linda Hall: Well, we'll find out.

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Linda Hall: I'm gonna talk to you.

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Linda Hall: I talk to you all the time.

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Linda Hall: Hi, Mary Margaret.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: Hi, Linda.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: Thanks for having me.

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Linda Hall: Thank you so much for coming and being on with us.

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Linda Hall: So let's start with a definition, because service animals, emotional support animals and therapy animals are three completely different things, and people get them very confused.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: That too.

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Linda Hall: So, explain, baby.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: So I've got, I think, the easiest way to describe it.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And you're right, these are always conflated.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: People are accidentally mixing them up.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: There's no malice intended, but there does feel like some overlap.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: So here's my hot tip for you, right?

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Mary Margaret Callahan: When we think about both emotional support animals and service animals or assistance animals, right?

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Mary Margaret Callahan: That could be a seeing eye dog or things like that.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: In those relationships, that's a one-to-one relationship.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: One animal benefiting one other person, right?

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Mary Margaret Callahan: Whether it's helping them with the activities of daily living or supporting them through mental health challenges, that one animal supports one person.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: Therapy animals, on the other hand, is a one-to-many relationship.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: One animal is out there visiting maybe a whole bunch of kids at the pediatric hospital in your community, or maybe five or 10 residents at the local nursing home.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: So that one animal is benefiting a whole bunch of people, not just one other individual.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: I think that's the easiest way to tell.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And when you have to ask yourself that litmus question, like, is this a therapy animal?

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Mary Margaret Callahan: Is it one-to-one or one-to-many?

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Rita Reimers: That's awesome.

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Rita Reimers: I never thought of it that way.

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Rita Reimers: That is a great, simple explanation.

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Linda Hall: So the therapy animals are the one going visiting.

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Linda Hall: And I do have a little bit of experience with this.

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Linda Hall: My girlfriend, Sherry, Sherry, Sherryl, she'll kill me.

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Linda Hall: Sherryl had a golden that was just amazing.

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Linda Hall: And he was such a sweet dog.

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Linda Hall: And so he went through training.

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Linda Hall: And I know with the dog, it was reactivity.

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Linda Hall: Will he startle and pay attention if somebody's walking past?

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Linda Hall: Will he get aggressive if somebody's messing with his food?

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Linda Hall: You know, that kind of thing.

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Linda Hall: How is he going to be?

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Linda Hall: Cats.

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Linda Hall: How do you have a cat therapy animal?

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Linda Hall: What are you looking for?

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Rita Reimers: Yeah, cats don't typically like to travel either, or be out of their own space.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: I mean, there are far fewer cats, therapy cats out in the universe than there are therapy dogs, that's for sure.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: But that doesn't mean that a cat can't be a therapy animal.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: They're just sort of, they've got a secret sauce, right?

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Mary Margaret Callahan: That it's many, many fewer.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: But these are the questions you ask yourself if you're thinking, how does this work for a cat, right?

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Mary Margaret Callahan: Therapy cats tend to be very affiliative.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: They want to hang out with strangers.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: Now, I suspect you gals are kind of like me.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: You know, you go over to a friend's house, go to a party, and you feel honored when the cat chooses you, right?

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Mary Margaret Callahan: The cat sits on your lap and you're like, I have been chosen.

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Rita Reimers: I look for the animals.

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Rita Reimers: I don't want to talk to people.

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Rita Reimers: I'm shy.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: Those animals, those cats who are willing to approach strangers and spend time with them, that's your first tip that they may be predisposed to being interested in being a therapy cat, right?

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Mary Margaret Callahan: But I think the other thing that people don't realize a lot, and this is so fascinating, lots and lots of people focus on, what does the cat need to do?

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Mary Margaret Callahan: What does the cat need to do?

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Mary Margaret Callahan: It's just as important how well the handler can manage that situation.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: So one of the things we recently did some research with Cat Person, which is a great cat care brand, but there's very little research about the cat-human bond, right?

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And there's even less research about therapy cats.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And so we undertook some research.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And one of the things that we found was when we started to do these interviews and surveys, talking to people who were therapy cat teams and talking to facilities that welcomed therapy cats, we looked at, well, who are these cats anyhow?

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Mary Margaret Callahan: First of all, it was spread across a wide, wide group of breeds.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: So it wasn't all domestic shorthairs.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: It wasn't all ragdoll cats.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: It wasn't all Devon Rexes or Sphinx cats.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: There was all sorts of different cat breeds who could become therapy animals, right?

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Mary Margaret Callahan: But then the other thing that I thought was so fascinating is the average age of a therapy cat was a little older than the average age of a therapy dog.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And in part, that's because also on average, the length of relationship between the handler and the cat tended to be very long before they became a therapy cat.

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Rita Reimers: That makes sense.

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Rita Reimers: It takes longer for a cat to trust than a dog.

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Linda Hall: And to really get the feeling of what that cat's personality is, right?

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Mary Margaret Callahan: Gotta know that cat and that cat needs to trust you because like you were saying, Rita, you're bringing this cat into environments that's not its own.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: If your cat can't fully trust you and know that you're always gonna be acting in its best interests, it's gonna not have a great time as a therapy cat.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: So that's what we saw.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: Cats tended to be a little older because they had a much longer relationship with their handler before they became a therapy cat.

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Rita Reimers: Nice.

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Linda Hall: That makes complete sense.

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Rita Reimers: Yes, Linda, don't you think?

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Linda Hall: Yeah, definitely.

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Linda Hall: And I'm assuming there's some kind of testing because we did an experiment that we weren't trying to do an experiment.

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Linda Hall: Rita, did you know?

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Linda Hall: Rita had to do some videos for Catster Magazine at one of their homes.

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Linda Hall: And so I was with her at the time, and she said, who should I bring?

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Linda Hall: And it was a no-brainer, Simon and Colby, because they are what we call her greeter cats.

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Rita Reimers: And Colby had done a previous set of videos with me when he was a kitten.

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Rita Reimers: So I thought, oh yeah, he'll come along.

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Linda Hall: And then I said, you know, we should probably bring a third just to be on the safe side.

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Linda Hall: So we ended up bringing a pumpkin.

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Linda Hall: And he was just like, it was like, oh, let's bring pumpkin.

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Rita Reimers: We actually asked your husband and Brian said, oh, bring pumpkin.

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Linda Hall: Bring pumpkin.

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Linda Hall: He doesn't even know the cats, but he chose for us.

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Linda Hall: Simon, poor thing, was basically standing in a corner for a lot of it with his head in freaking out.

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Linda Hall: Colby disappeared.

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Linda Hall: We could not find Colby for the longest time.

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Rita Reimers: Even though he'd been at that house before and had already been in video.

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Linda Hall: He had stuffed himself under a credenza.

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Linda Hall: And again, it was like inches.

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Linda Hall: I don't know.

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Linda Hall: And we were like walking past trying to search.

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Linda Hall: We were sure he'd gotten out.

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Rita Reimers: I think he just kind of caught the orange and you're like, wait.

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Linda Hall: I did.

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Linda Hall: I caught a little glimpse of orange.

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Linda Hall: I was like, found him.

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Linda Hall: So Ann Punkin, who was our, whatever, he read the script.

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Linda Hall: He sat there.

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Rita Reimers: He was already older.

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Linda Hall: He was 16.

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Linda Hall: Yes, yes.

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Linda Hall: He let them put hats on him.

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Linda Hall: I had told the guy, I'm going to put the hat on.

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Linda Hall: You got, I'm going to dive and do carpet video, you know, carpet, scrape myself up because you got one second to take it.

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Linda Hall: I dove, got rug burn and the cat was like, yes, dear, what else can I do for you?

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Linda Hall: We put little solo cups in front of him because they were supposed to be partying.

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Linda Hall: I mean, he did everything.

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Rita Reimers: We even had to fake an attack, remember with him and Colby?

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Rita Reimers: And he faked it well.

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Linda Hall: He did everything.

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Rita Reimers: Oh, and the thing, the scene in bed with you too, where he was supposed to spark you with his tail.

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Linda Hall: It was supposed to be as your cat keeping us up all night.

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Linda Hall: So, they've got me in these kitty jammies and the blankets are up to my chin.

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Linda Hall: And they set him down and he sat there with his tail, whapping me on the forehead.

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Linda Hall: Whap, whap, whap.

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Rita Reimers: He read the script.

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Linda Hall: He understood the assignment.

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Linda Hall: So, you know, it's not always who you expect.

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Linda Hall: At the two that we thought were sure things were freaked out.

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Linda Hall: I feel like we tortured them.

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Linda Hall: And Punkin was like, give me the script.

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Rita Reimers: But like you said, older cat, he was the oldest one in the bunch.

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Rita Reimers: The others were under, both of them were under two.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: So I think what's so interesting, that does really speak to the fact that there's a lot of value in having an independent third party help you assess if this is the right thing for you and your animal, right?

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Mary Margaret Callahan: Because you, we see this a lot.

00:10:04.922 --> 00:10:07.982
Mary Margaret Callahan: People who are passionate, they want to volunteer in their community.

00:10:08.002 --> 00:10:10.102
Mary Margaret Callahan: They want to go to the library and have kids read.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: They want to go to the hospital.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: They want to help here.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And that's all really wonderful.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: But one of the tenets of the human animal bond is that it's supposed to be mutually beneficial.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: Not just beneficial for the person receiving the visit.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: This should be beneficial for our animals too.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: These are sentient beings.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: They've got the opportunity to express preferences and make choices.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And it's our job as the pet parent and as the handler in that situation to respect their preferences.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And so Pet Partners believes really strongly that every two years, you want to have your therapy animal evaluated or re-evaluated because it's hard in our hearts when we want to do this and we love our animals so much, we can't always be really objective.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: So helpful to have an objective third party there to go, I can tell your animal really likes meeting strangers as opposed to the person who's bringing their cat because they want to do the work and the cat's like, why, but why?

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Linda Hall: Yes, the cat's in the corner.

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Rita Reimers: We got, how do you, how do you reassess?

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Rita Reimers: How do you certify an animal that what do you do?

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Mary Margaret Callahan: There's a handler, that's a great question.

00:11:13.082 --> 00:11:14.782
Mary Margaret Callahan: There's a handler training component.

00:11:14.802 --> 00:11:17.122
Mary Margaret Callahan: So you, as the human holding the leash, right?

00:11:17.282 --> 00:11:18.382
Mary Margaret Callahan: You need to know certain things.

00:11:18.402 --> 00:11:20.182
Mary Margaret Callahan: You need to make sure you don't say the wrong thing.

00:11:20.362 --> 00:11:23.622
Mary Margaret Callahan: You need to know about, you know, zoonosis and hand hygiene.

00:11:23.642 --> 00:11:25.982
Mary Margaret Callahan: Make sure you're not spreading any germs by accident.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: But then there's an aspect of going and doing, it feels a little bit like a dress rehearsal, right?

00:11:32.742 --> 00:11:43.182
Mary Margaret Callahan: You're going to actually do these role playing scenarios where someone can see how does your cat act when it has to greet a strenely stranger or what happens when there's a weird noise in the corner of the room.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And it's okay to startle, but does your animal recover?

00:11:47.222 --> 00:11:50.282
Mary Margaret Callahan: Or do they get so stressed out they can't keep going, right?

00:11:50.302 --> 00:11:51.582
Mary Margaret Callahan: Because that's not what we want.

00:11:51.702 --> 00:11:57.902
Mary Margaret Callahan: It's okay to startle, but you got to recover because you've got that handler who's there that you have this trusting bond with, right?

00:11:58.342 --> 00:12:04.762
Mary Margaret Callahan: Also, we do ask that cats pass a friendly dog, not a dog they have to interact with.

00:12:05.062 --> 00:12:12.822
Mary Margaret Callahan: But if you don't want to be in a situation where your animal is so fearful that they're going to, it's not to their benefit to be in that situation.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And so those are some of the things that your evaluation consists of.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: It's sort of, what are some of the interactions you might actually have on a visit?

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Mary Margaret Callahan: That's what's important.

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Rita Reimers: Now they say that knocks out Simon and Oliver.

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Rita Reimers: I still think Sweetie Pie would be good.

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Rita Reimers: Bella would be, except she tends to nip.

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Rita Reimers: So you have to watch out for that too.

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Linda Hall: Yeah, if she gets overstimulated or starts getting upset, she'll do a nip.

00:12:37.382 --> 00:12:40.422
Mary Margaret Callahan: Well, and that's a good example, that overstimulation, right?

00:12:40.442 --> 00:12:41.282
Mary Margaret Callahan: That can really happen.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And people are like, oh, it's not aggression.

00:12:42.762 --> 00:12:43.902
Mary Margaret Callahan: No, it's just, it's too much.

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Linda Hall: Yeah, and that's exactly the worst case scenario to put it in.

00:12:47.182 --> 00:12:51.022
Linda Hall: But I have to tell you, if I was in the nursing home or the hospital, I love dogs.

00:12:51.042 --> 00:12:51.762
Linda Hall: I've had dogs.

00:12:51.782 --> 00:12:52.762
Linda Hall: We're gonna get another dog.

00:12:53.162 --> 00:12:55.162
Linda Hall: But a dog is very, oh, and you're fake.

00:12:55.182 --> 00:12:56.442
Linda Hall: Cats are my vibe.

00:12:56.462 --> 00:12:58.782
Linda Hall: I want you to bring your cat in to lay with me.

00:12:58.802 --> 00:12:59.262
Linda Hall: That's it.

00:12:59.342 --> 00:13:00.422
Linda Hall: That's it, exactly.

00:13:00.722 --> 00:13:09.682
Mary Margaret Callahan: And that's one of the reasons why Pet Partners registers nine different species of animals, because we recognize not everybody's a dog person and that's okay, right?

00:13:10.022 --> 00:13:11.102
Rita Reimers: Tell us what they are.

00:13:11.202 --> 00:13:11.742
Rita Reimers: What are they?

00:13:12.282 --> 00:13:15.602
Mary Margaret Callahan: I'm gonna have to probably count on my fingers to make sure I don't miss anyone, right?

00:13:15.642 --> 00:13:16.822
Mary Margaret Callahan: Nine gives me a lot.

00:13:16.842 --> 00:13:18.582
Mary Margaret Callahan: I start getting a little desperate at the end.

00:13:18.962 --> 00:13:22.782
Mary Margaret Callahan: Okay, so obviously dogs, they're number one registered species.

00:13:22.822 --> 00:13:26.302
Mary Margaret Callahan: We have about 94% of our therapy animals are canines.

00:13:26.522 --> 00:13:28.142
Mary Margaret Callahan: We've got cats, obviously.

00:13:28.162 --> 00:13:29.202
Mary Margaret Callahan: We love those cats.

00:13:29.702 --> 00:13:33.622
Mary Margaret Callahan: Equines, miniature horses in particular, they're smaller and they can go into settings.

00:13:33.642 --> 00:13:39.762
Linda Hall: I saw a social media video where they brought this miniature horse in and it was, I cried.

00:13:39.782 --> 00:13:42.022
Rita Reimers: Okay, Linda, we're not having a sanctuary for miniature horses.

00:13:45.642 --> 00:13:49.422
Mary Margaret Callahan: So then what we'll see, we've got rabbits, right?

00:13:49.662 --> 00:13:50.442
Mary Margaret Callahan: Guinea pigs.

00:13:50.762 --> 00:13:52.842
Mary Margaret Callahan: We have some llamas and alpacas.

00:13:53.762 --> 00:13:55.422
Mary Margaret Callahan: Pot-bellied pig, parrots.

00:13:55.962 --> 00:14:00.282
Mary Margaret Callahan: And last but not least, and this is the one that people, when you say it, they go, ooh, really?

00:14:00.362 --> 00:14:01.542
Mary Margaret Callahan: Domesticated rats.

00:14:02.122 --> 00:14:03.782
Mary Margaret Callahan: So we do have a handful of rats.

00:14:04.262 --> 00:14:05.642
Mary Margaret Callahan: See, there you did, right?

00:14:05.802 --> 00:14:07.522
Mary Margaret Callahan: Which some people do, but you know what?

00:14:07.962 --> 00:14:11.862
Mary Margaret Callahan: It just goes to show, different animals are beneficial to different people.

00:14:12.202 --> 00:14:18.282
Mary Margaret Callahan: Rats are terrific, smart, very sort of intuitive, inquisitive and things like that.

00:14:19.222 --> 00:14:20.062
Mary Margaret Callahan: And you know what?

00:14:20.322 --> 00:14:30.762
Mary Margaret Callahan: While not everybody loves rats, you know, one audience that I have heard time and time again from some of our wonderful volunteers across the country who loves rats, kids and juvenile justice.

00:14:31.362 --> 00:14:38.102
Mary Margaret Callahan: Anybody who feels like someone has drawn a conclusion about them before really getting to know them because they go, well, I understand.

00:14:38.262 --> 00:14:41.762
Mary Margaret Callahan: People think that they don't like rats, that rats are dirty or rats are gross.

00:14:42.062 --> 00:14:44.982
Mary Margaret Callahan: People have assumed stuff about me before too, and it wasn't right.

00:14:45.142 --> 00:14:46.322
Rita Reimers: Oh, that's really hard for you.

00:14:46.522 --> 00:14:48.122
Linda Hall: My heart, I know.

00:14:48.602 --> 00:14:51.922
Mary Margaret Callahan: So lots of different animals for lots of different people.

00:14:52.242 --> 00:14:53.242
Rita Reimers: That's amazing.

00:14:53.862 --> 00:14:54.762
Linda Hall: Oh, it is.

00:14:55.282 --> 00:15:02.942
Linda Hall: I love, I wrote down, there was a quote and you all can go to petpartners.org if you want to see, there's a lot there.

00:15:02.982 --> 00:15:05.102
Linda Hall: Okay, so I'm going to give you the quote.

00:15:05.122 --> 00:15:06.842
Linda Hall: We'll talk about it after we come back.

00:15:06.842 --> 00:15:07.382
Rita Reimers: Sounds good.

00:15:07.822 --> 00:15:15.582
Linda Hall: Through the human animal bond, we can improve the physical, social and emotional lives of both the people and animals involved.

00:15:15.602 --> 00:15:16.362
Linda Hall: I love that.

00:15:16.382 --> 00:15:17.042
Linda Hall: All right, Rita.

00:15:17.062 --> 00:15:20.702
Rita Reimers: We'll be right back to talk about it after this message from our sponsor.

00:15:23.222 --> 00:15:24.862
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00:15:29.482 --> 00:15:31.562
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00:16:03.662 --> 00:16:05.502
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00:16:06.002 --> 00:16:10.482
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00:16:17.942 --> 00:16:18.882
Rita Reimers: Pet Life Radio.

00:16:29.637 --> 00:16:37.737
Rita Reimers: And we're back with 19 Cats and Counting, my BFF co-host, writer Dianne Linda Hall, and the awesome, I can't say it like you do, Linda, Sarah.

00:16:37.757 --> 00:16:39.537
Announcer: Mary Margaret Callahan.

00:16:39.717 --> 00:16:40.437
Linda Hall: That's it.

00:16:40.737 --> 00:16:42.857
Rita Reimers: And Linda just gave this awesome quote.

00:16:42.877 --> 00:16:45.317
Rita Reimers: Do you want to just say it again, and then we'll talk about it.

00:16:45.337 --> 00:16:52.957
Linda Hall: Through the human-animal bond, we can improve the physical, social, and emotional lives of both the people and animals involved.

00:16:53.297 --> 00:16:55.917
Linda Hall: And that is so powerful, and we know it.

00:16:55.917 --> 00:17:02.077
Linda Hall: It's why we fight to keep cats in their homes and take care of behavior problems, because we know what it does to people in home.

00:17:02.417 --> 00:17:04.897
Linda Hall: But let's talk about what this is doing for the people.

00:17:04.917 --> 00:17:07.517
Linda Hall: I mean, you just gave a brilliant example with the juveniles.

00:17:08.097 --> 00:17:12.437
Mary Margaret Callahan: We think about the challenges as a society we face today, right?

00:17:13.877 --> 00:17:19.977
Mary Margaret Callahan: So much loneliness, isolation, depression, anxiety, stress.

00:17:20.637 --> 00:17:32.877
Mary Margaret Callahan: One of the things we see time and time again is that the presence of therapy animals, even in relatively short amounts of time, can have lasting benefits on all of those factors for people, right?

00:17:32.937 --> 00:17:44.397
Mary Margaret Callahan: So whether it's you become a volunteer and you decide to go to the local retirement home or senior center, you're helping to prevent loneliness.

00:17:44.577 --> 00:17:46.537
Mary Margaret Callahan: You're helping to reduce isolation.

00:17:46.797 --> 00:17:58.057
Mary Margaret Callahan: And one of my favorite factors about this that's been studied is that the presence of a therapy animal increases the amount of interaction between staff and residents even after the therapy animal has left.

00:17:58.317 --> 00:18:01.177
Mary Margaret Callahan: There's a lasting impact on how people interact.

00:18:01.477 --> 00:18:03.817
Mary Margaret Callahan: We're also seeing this coming in at the workplace.

00:18:03.837 --> 00:18:06.897
Mary Margaret Callahan: So think about, we all had COVID-19.

00:18:07.237 --> 00:18:15.957
Mary Margaret Callahan: Many of us who worked in offices started to work from home and many of us didn't necessarily go back to offices right away or are starting to have to transition back to offices.

00:18:16.697 --> 00:18:29.417
Mary Margaret Callahan: We have workplaces asking us to bring in therapy animals almost as a mixer to get coworkers talking again, have it be a benefit of going into the office again, because you get to hang out with some therapy animals on your break.

00:18:30.097 --> 00:18:31.197
Rita Reimers: I love that.

00:18:31.777 --> 00:18:34.657
Rita Reimers: That might have kept me in the office longer if we had animals around.

00:18:35.497 --> 00:18:43.717
Linda Hall: And I was thinking, now this was not a therapy animal per se, but my dad had knee replacement surgery and had to go to the nursing home.

00:18:43.917 --> 00:18:45.237
Linda Hall: That was fun, he wasn't happy.

00:18:45.837 --> 00:18:51.597
Linda Hall: And somebody in another room, his wife would come visit them with their teeny tiny little purse type doggie.

00:18:52.377 --> 00:18:54.417
Linda Hall: My dad would get so excited.

00:18:54.437 --> 00:18:56.077
Linda Hall: She'd take the dog out and walk it in the grass.

00:18:56.097 --> 00:18:57.337
Linda Hall: He'd go, look, Linda, the dog's out there.

00:18:57.697 --> 00:18:59.297
Linda Hall: And he took pictures of the dog.

00:18:59.317 --> 00:19:03.797
Linda Hall: He had pictures of the dog on his phone, like asked me about my grandchildren, asked me about this lady's random dog.

00:19:04.337 --> 00:19:07.097
Linda Hall: And she'd walk down the hall and he'd say something and she'd bring it in.

00:19:07.497 --> 00:19:14.797
Linda Hall: It really, I mean, the man was really miserable and it really brightened his time there having that dog out.

00:19:14.817 --> 00:19:16.937
Linda Hall: Like he still has that picture on his phone, okay?

00:19:17.337 --> 00:19:22.137
Linda Hall: So yeah, and that wasn't even technically a therapy animal, but it did the same job, right?

00:19:22.157 --> 00:19:26.217
Rita Reimers: Well, of course he was missing his cat, you know, his cat was at home without him.

00:19:26.417 --> 00:19:27.637
Mary Margaret Callahan: Yeah, absolutely.

00:19:27.977 --> 00:19:38.537
Mary Margaret Callahan: And one of the things that I love from this study that we did is we talked to facility staff who where they have an existing therapy animal program that welcomes cats.

00:19:39.257 --> 00:19:43.977
Mary Margaret Callahan: 100% of facilities that welcome cats said it was a positive overall experience.

00:19:44.597 --> 00:19:49.657
Mary Margaret Callahan: So it can be challenging for those of us who are cat lovers and want to volunteer with our cats.

00:19:49.997 --> 00:19:55.537
Mary Margaret Callahan: You sometimes do have to kind of talk yourself into being admitted into a facility because they're used to dogs.

00:19:55.557 --> 00:19:59.017
Mary Margaret Callahan: They know dogs and people go, can a cat even be a therapy cat?

00:19:59.017 --> 00:20:00.877
Mary Margaret Callahan: I'm here to tell you they can, right?

00:20:01.217 --> 00:20:05.677
Mary Margaret Callahan: Therapy cats are dispelling sort of some of the myths about cats, right?

00:20:05.697 --> 00:20:09.937
Mary Margaret Callahan: What do we think about when people make sweeping generalizations about cats?

00:20:10.097 --> 00:20:10.677
Mary Margaret Callahan: They're elusive.

00:20:11.777 --> 00:20:12.837
Mary Margaret Callahan: Right, solitary.

00:20:12.857 --> 00:20:15.457
Mary Margaret Callahan: Solitary, not friendly, can't be trained.

00:20:15.717 --> 00:20:17.277
Mary Margaret Callahan: None of that is true, right?

00:20:17.297 --> 00:20:19.097
Rita Reimers: Look at her cat showing off for us.

00:20:21.297 --> 00:20:22.857
Linda Hall: He always does, yeah.

00:20:23.597 --> 00:20:33.817
Mary Margaret Callahan: No, so I mean, one of the things I love about seeing therapy cats in different settings is it's challenging people's stereotypes about cats as pets, right?

00:20:33.837 --> 00:20:37.997
Mary Margaret Callahan: People having a chance to meet a cat and go, oh, I didn't think cats were like this.

00:20:38.017 --> 00:20:39.477
Mary Margaret Callahan: Well, they can be, they are.

00:20:39.897 --> 00:20:43.337
Linda Hall: Definitely, and they're so intuitive and empathetic.

00:20:43.357 --> 00:20:48.117
Linda Hall: That's something that we're constantly driving home in behavior sessions, like your cat picks up on your emotions.

00:20:48.137 --> 00:20:50.197
Linda Hall: You can't be stressed when you're doing this integration.

00:20:50.377 --> 00:20:53.337
Linda Hall: Did your cat just eat your headphones and disconnect them, Rita?

00:20:53.597 --> 00:20:56.457
Linda Hall: No, the way you were hanging it, I thought, uh-oh.

00:20:56.477 --> 00:20:58.917
Rita Reimers: No, he wants to just have them on my lap, you know?

00:20:58.917 --> 00:20:59.777
Linda Hall: Oh, okay, okay.

00:20:59.797 --> 00:21:07.337
Rita Reimers: My one cat, he's got balance issues, so he wants to come up and he keeps nagging me on my lap and I have to sit back and let him, there he goes.

00:21:08.977 --> 00:21:15.897
Rita Reimers: This is Dexter, who was a, he appeared on my deck one day, two years back, so Linda named him Dexter.

00:21:15.917 --> 00:21:17.657
Rita Reimers: Anyway, no, I'm good, I'm good.

00:21:17.757 --> 00:21:19.937
Linda Hall: Okay, so where do we go from here?

00:21:20.017 --> 00:21:24.357
Linda Hall: If I've got a cat, I want my cat to be a therapy cat.

00:21:24.757 --> 00:21:25.337
Linda Hall: Where do I go?

00:21:25.357 --> 00:21:25.817
Linda Hall: What do I do?

00:21:25.837 --> 00:21:26.917
Linda Hall: How do I get started with this?

00:21:27.217 --> 00:21:30.017
Mary Margaret Callahan: Great, and I suspect you girls talk about this all the time, right?

00:21:30.037 --> 00:21:33.457
Mary Margaret Callahan: With cats, start small, start little, pay attention.

00:21:33.457 --> 00:21:39.777
Mary Margaret Callahan: So start doing your socialization, invite someone over, watch how your cat reacts when someone comes in.

00:21:40.137 --> 00:21:41.657
Mary Margaret Callahan: You really have to be observant.

00:21:41.717 --> 00:21:45.717
Mary Margaret Callahan: It is your job as the handler to be your animal's best advocate, right?

00:21:45.997 --> 00:21:47.917
Mary Margaret Callahan: Your job to set them up for success.

00:21:48.017 --> 00:21:52.837
Mary Margaret Callahan: And part of that is just getting really familiar with watching how they behave in different settings, right?

00:21:53.257 --> 00:21:55.117
Mary Margaret Callahan: So start some of that socialization.

00:21:55.657 --> 00:21:59.517
Mary Margaret Callahan: Rita mentioned this earlier, travel can be kind of a barrier, right?

00:21:59.797 --> 00:22:06.897
Mary Margaret Callahan: If your cat, unless you happen to live next door to the hospital where you plan to go, chances are you're gonna have to travel with your cat.

00:22:07.237 --> 00:22:08.497
Mary Margaret Callahan: So what does that look like?

00:22:08.537 --> 00:22:15.017
Mary Margaret Callahan: Do you need to do some training around being in a carrier, going on short car rides, preparing for that?

00:22:15.157 --> 00:22:17.357
Mary Margaret Callahan: So it's a positive experience, right?

00:22:17.377 --> 00:22:21.537
Mary Margaret Callahan: Because remember, this is only works when it's mutually beneficial for everybody involved.

00:22:21.837 --> 00:22:26.417
Mary Margaret Callahan: So watching socialization and observing how your cat behaves, preparing them for that.

00:22:26.617 --> 00:22:27.837
Mary Margaret Callahan: Travel is usually a big thing.

00:22:28.157 --> 00:22:30.897
Mary Margaret Callahan: And also if they need to wear equipment, right?

00:22:31.157 --> 00:22:33.697
Mary Margaret Callahan: Wearing a leash, do you want them to wear a vest?

00:22:33.717 --> 00:22:34.857
Mary Margaret Callahan: Are they gonna wear a collar?

00:22:34.877 --> 00:22:35.597
Mary Margaret Callahan: What does that look like?

00:22:35.737 --> 00:22:40.157
Mary Margaret Callahan: That can take some time because most of our cats, not leash walkers by nature.

00:22:40.157 --> 00:22:49.037
Mary Margaret Callahan: And while I'm not suggesting you're gonna walk down the hallway with your cat on a leash, you do wanna have your cat leashed in case something were to happen, right?

00:22:49.237 --> 00:22:53.297
Mary Margaret Callahan: You don't want your cat jetting off into a crowd where you can't find them.

00:22:53.317 --> 00:22:54.417
Linda Hall: I was gonna ask you about that.

00:22:56.417 --> 00:22:57.597
Mary Margaret Callahan: Safety precaution.

00:22:57.857 --> 00:23:08.137
Mary Margaret Callahan: You're probably gonna wanna really get your cat comfortable in a harness so that even though you may be carrying them around, you don't ever have run the risk of them being lost in a crowd.

00:23:08.897 --> 00:23:10.437
Rita Reimers: I still vote for Sweetie Pie being.

00:23:10.777 --> 00:23:12.057
Linda Hall: I kind of do too.

00:23:12.077 --> 00:23:13.337
Linda Hall: Start working on her on the harness.

00:23:13.357 --> 00:23:15.117
Rita Reimers: She's a tiny little cute thing.

00:23:15.117 --> 00:23:16.217
Rita Reimers: I'll try to show you.

00:23:16.237 --> 00:23:17.637
Linda Hall: Oh, everyone would melt.

00:23:17.897 --> 00:23:18.737
Linda Hall: Let me tell you.

00:23:19.117 --> 00:23:21.537
Linda Hall: And it's like you said, it's the desensitization.

00:23:21.557 --> 00:23:23.557
Linda Hall: We talk to people and they'll say, oh, I tried harness training.

00:23:23.577 --> 00:23:24.297
Linda Hall: They weren't having it.

00:23:24.317 --> 00:23:24.577
Linda Hall: Okay.

00:23:24.997 --> 00:23:27.557
Linda Hall: First you leave the harness out so that it smells right.

00:23:27.577 --> 00:23:29.097
Linda Hall: And they're used to it and it's no big deal.

00:23:29.377 --> 00:23:31.297
Linda Hall: Then you just take the harness and you touch them with it.

00:23:31.317 --> 00:23:32.857
Linda Hall: Like you're brushing them or something.

00:23:32.877 --> 00:23:35.157
Linda Hall: Oh, the air is curled up in bed with me.

00:23:36.577 --> 00:23:39.997
Linda Hall: She's fluffy and she's little and she's just adorable.

00:23:40.017 --> 00:23:42.457
Linda Hall: She's got a little naughty in her, but she's adorable.

00:23:42.477 --> 00:23:43.657
Rita Reimers: She's never bitten.

00:23:43.717 --> 00:23:45.137
Rita Reimers: I don't think I've ever even heard of her.

00:23:45.217 --> 00:23:46.097
Linda Hall: No, no, no.

00:23:46.157 --> 00:23:50.137
Rita Reimers: She's, yeah, she's, she's one of the first to greet Linda when she comes.

00:23:50.457 --> 00:23:51.297
Linda Hall: Tell you another one.

00:23:51.317 --> 00:23:53.077
Linda Hall: We're going to talk about this later is Dexter.

00:23:53.237 --> 00:23:56.497
Linda Hall: Cause he's never met a stranger and is so amazed by everything.

00:23:56.517 --> 00:23:58.317
Rita Reimers: Him with his balance issues.

00:23:58.337 --> 00:24:03.717
Linda Hall: I know she brought him into the house and all the cats are like, you know, challenging him and hissing at him.

00:24:03.737 --> 00:24:07.157
Linda Hall: And he just kept like, dude, what?

00:24:07.497 --> 00:24:09.117
Linda Hall: I just, I'm here, you know?

00:24:09.137 --> 00:24:09.537
Linda Hall: But yeah.

00:24:09.557 --> 00:24:11.977
Rita Reimers: He was all over you guys when you were here was a kitten.

00:24:11.997 --> 00:24:14.877
Rita Reimers: He had only been in my house a couple of weeks and they almost took him home.

00:24:15.277 --> 00:24:15.957
Linda Hall: I wanted to.

00:24:15.977 --> 00:24:18.617
Linda Hall: I think my husband would have killed me, but that's another thing entirely.

00:24:18.637 --> 00:24:19.657
Linda Hall: So yeah, exactly.

00:24:19.677 --> 00:24:20.737
Linda Hall: Nothing phases him.

00:24:20.877 --> 00:24:22.937
Rita Reimers: So change the subject a little teeny bit.

00:24:23.177 --> 00:24:25.817
Rita Reimers: I've read something about, and you might know about this.

00:24:25.837 --> 00:24:31.857
Rita Reimers: There's a program in some of the jails where they're teaching the inmates how to work with and train cats.

00:24:31.917 --> 00:24:33.857
Rita Reimers: I thought that was just awesome.

00:24:34.217 --> 00:24:38.757
Mary Margaret Callahan: I have heard about programs like this, and they're amazing, usually on a state level.

00:24:39.097 --> 00:24:42.857
Mary Margaret Callahan: But again, goes back to that concept of the human animal bond, right?

00:24:42.877 --> 00:24:44.557
Mary Margaret Callahan: And that mutual benefit.

00:24:44.617 --> 00:24:52.617
Mary Margaret Callahan: So taking an animal, whether it's a dog or a cat, preparing it so it can be adopted by a loving family, it obviously benefits the animal.

00:24:52.637 --> 00:25:02.777
Mary Margaret Callahan: But then the wonderful opportunity to develop a bond with that animal, feel like you're training them for something that's going to go on and be really beneficial in me.

00:25:03.137 --> 00:25:05.557
Mary Margaret Callahan: Such a valuable, valuable interaction.

00:25:05.937 --> 00:25:06.577
Linda Hall: Oh, yes.

00:25:06.617 --> 00:25:08.557
Linda Hall: And cats are the perfect, so you don't have to take them out.

00:25:08.577 --> 00:25:09.277
Linda Hall: You don't have to walk them.

00:25:09.297 --> 00:25:11.537
Linda Hall: They're not going to poop in your room while they are, but it's in a litter box.

00:25:11.557 --> 00:25:12.997
Linda Hall: You know, they're the perfect animal.

00:25:13.097 --> 00:25:16.777
Linda Hall: They do well in small spaces, you know, on and on and on.

00:25:17.277 --> 00:25:21.137
Linda Hall: So I am assuming, do you need an official registration?

00:25:21.157 --> 00:25:23.557
Linda Hall: So I've decided my cat's going to be a therapy cat.

00:25:23.917 --> 00:25:27.457
Linda Hall: I'm assuming I need to get this cat registered in a specific way.

00:25:27.897 --> 00:25:30.617
Linda Hall: Can I just go to petpartners.org and get the information?

00:25:30.637 --> 00:25:32.557
Mary Margaret Callahan: Come to petpartners.org, right?

00:25:32.577 --> 00:25:33.657
Mary Margaret Callahan: We'll get you set up.

00:25:33.677 --> 00:25:39.797
Mary Margaret Callahan: So you're going to want to take your handler training, which you can do online or in person, if there happens to be a workshop in your area.

00:25:39.817 --> 00:25:44.117
Mary Margaret Callahan: We are in all 50 states in the US and we're also internationally in several countries.

00:25:44.377 --> 00:25:48.717
Mary Margaret Callahan: And once you've gotten your training, you're going to figure out what does that evaluation look like?

00:25:48.737 --> 00:25:56.657
Mary Margaret Callahan: And you and your cat can take some time to prepare and practice for that sort of, you know, role-playing evaluation where you're going to be scored.

00:25:56.877 --> 00:26:00.357
Mary Margaret Callahan: Now, the important thing to remember is they're scoring your cat, but they're scoring you too.

00:26:00.637 --> 00:26:02.297
Mary Margaret Callahan: Are you looking out for your animal's best interest?

00:26:02.317 --> 00:26:04.277
Mary Margaret Callahan: Can you recognize their body language?

00:26:04.657 --> 00:26:09.337
Mary Margaret Callahan: And when you can do those things and advocate for your animal, the two of you then can become a team.

00:26:09.357 --> 00:26:12.717
Mary Margaret Callahan: When you register with a team as pet partners, then you have opportunities.

00:26:12.897 --> 00:26:16.197
Mary Margaret Callahan: You have insurance, which in this day and age is really important.

00:26:16.457 --> 00:26:21.117
Mary Margaret Callahan: Those facilities are not going to welcome you if you don't have insurance as a volunteer, right?

00:26:21.497 --> 00:26:22.857
Mary Margaret Callahan: And so you'll have insurance.

00:26:23.037 --> 00:26:38.937
Mary Margaret Callahan: You have access to places where have requested volunteers through pet partners, or you can approach a facility in your community and say, I have always wanted to volunteer and provide them with information and we'll help you get Cat Therapy Animal Program started.

00:26:38.957 --> 00:26:40.197
Linda Hall: Nice, I like that.

00:26:40.217 --> 00:26:41.517
Linda Hall: That was my next question.

00:26:41.537 --> 00:26:42.917
Linda Hall: I live in a very small town.

00:26:43.297 --> 00:26:52.237
Linda Hall: I can pretty much guarantee you, we've got nursing facilities and schools and all kinds of things around here, but I can pretty much guarantee you that they're not, I would be shocked if they were registered with something.

00:26:52.257 --> 00:26:54.757
Linda Hall: So it's like, okay, how do I start that?

00:26:54.777 --> 00:26:57.137
Linda Hall: Because it's easier for somebody close to home.

00:26:58.797 --> 00:26:59.377
Mary Margaret Callahan: Absolutely.

00:26:59.397 --> 00:27:01.137
Mary Margaret Callahan: So we can help you with resources.

00:27:01.137 --> 00:27:02.677
Mary Margaret Callahan: Different places need different things.

00:27:02.697 --> 00:27:05.197
Mary Margaret Callahan: Some people want to see data and reports and research.

00:27:05.437 --> 00:27:12.657
Mary Margaret Callahan: Some people just want to know you've got great insurance and we can help walk you through that process so that you can approach a facility in your community.

00:27:12.937 --> 00:27:18.397
Mary Margaret Callahan: Because that's what this is about, giving back to your community while strengthening your relationship with your beloved pet.

00:27:18.777 --> 00:27:22.557
Rita Reimers: Is the insurance, in case your pet bites somebody, what is it for?

00:27:22.817 --> 00:27:25.337
Mary Margaret Callahan: It tends to be in case an accident happens.

00:27:25.357 --> 00:27:35.117
Mary Margaret Callahan: So whether it's an unintentional scratch or whether it's, let's say you have a big dog who barks and scares someone and they feel like that was emotionally damaging to them.

00:27:35.557 --> 00:27:38.217
Mary Margaret Callahan: This day and age, the United States is pretty litigious.

00:27:38.617 --> 00:27:41.597
Mary Margaret Callahan: It behooves you to have insurance because who knows what's going to happen.

00:27:41.617 --> 00:27:43.017
Linda Hall: You're not wrong.

00:27:43.037 --> 00:27:44.217
Rita Reimers: Yeah, you're not wrong.

00:27:44.237 --> 00:27:47.937
Linda Hall: Your cat accidentally breaks that special something in the room.

00:27:48.217 --> 00:27:50.557
Mary Margaret Callahan: A little bit of gravity testing, right?

00:27:52.437 --> 00:27:56.537
Rita Reimers: Cats are notorious for liking to see things fall to the floor.

00:27:56.557 --> 00:28:00.257
Linda Hall: All right, so now let's say, I am so pumped about this.

00:28:00.277 --> 00:28:04.837
Linda Hall: I think this is the greatest thing ever, but none of my cats are going to hit this criteria and I'm too loaded.

00:28:05.297 --> 00:28:07.237
Linda Hall: What can I still do to help you?

00:28:07.257 --> 00:28:09.237
Linda Hall: Do you take donations?

00:28:09.777 --> 00:28:15.017
Mary Margaret Callahan: And we have really fun events that you don't have to be a therapy animal owner to participate in.

00:28:15.097 --> 00:28:23.357
Mary Margaret Callahan: So every fall, we have the world's largest pet walk, a great opportunity to go out and walk either with your own animal or with other people's animals too.

00:28:23.377 --> 00:28:25.177
Mary Margaret Callahan: We'd love to have that happen, right?

00:28:25.657 --> 00:28:28.897
Mary Margaret Callahan: National Therapy Animal Day is April 30th every year.

00:28:29.197 --> 00:28:43.217
Mary Margaret Callahan: If you want to support more therapy cats being out there in the world, you can help raise awareness by requesting a proclamation from your municipal government, just having therapy animals recognize for the important contributions they do all across the country, right?

00:28:43.717 --> 00:28:45.317
Mary Margaret Callahan: We also are a non-profit.

00:28:45.337 --> 00:28:46.797
Mary Margaret Callahan: We do accept donations.

00:28:47.097 --> 00:28:51.557
Mary Margaret Callahan: There's lots of great opportunities to get involved and engaged with Pet Partners.

00:28:51.637 --> 00:28:53.417
Mary Margaret Callahan: We'd love to have you come by.

00:28:53.737 --> 00:28:58.357
Mary Margaret Callahan: Check out our website at petpartners.org and see where you may fit in because you're right.

00:28:58.617 --> 00:29:00.897
Mary Margaret Callahan: The cat you have today may not be the right cat.

00:29:01.157 --> 00:29:12.037
Mary Margaret Callahan: Maybe a future cat would be, or maybe what you're just committed to doing is helping spread the word so that more people realize therapy cats can be a thing as many, many people don't.

00:29:12.197 --> 00:29:19.817
Mary Margaret Callahan: In that research I've been citing, 100% of facilities said clients or patients were surprised when they met a therapy cat.

00:29:19.837 --> 00:29:22.097
Mary Margaret Callahan: They didn't realize there could be therapy cats.

00:29:22.397 --> 00:29:24.637
Mary Margaret Callahan: Let's make it the norm, people, right?

00:29:24.657 --> 00:29:26.677
Mary Margaret Callahan: Let's get therapy cats out there.

00:29:27.137 --> 00:29:27.777
Rita Reimers: I love that.

00:29:27.797 --> 00:29:30.917
Rita Reimers: Cats are the number one pet now, more so than dogs.

00:29:31.217 --> 00:29:31.437
Rita Reimers: So-

00:29:31.457 --> 00:29:32.197
Linda Hall: Rita, I'm sorry.

00:29:32.217 --> 00:29:33.397
Linda Hall: I can't work the rest of the day.

00:29:33.417 --> 00:29:34.257
Linda Hall: I have work to do.

00:29:34.277 --> 00:29:36.677
Linda Hall: I want to go check out petpartners.org.

00:29:36.717 --> 00:29:38.457
Rita Reimers: We'll have to talk about that offline, Ms.

00:29:38.477 --> 00:29:38.797
Rita Reimers: Linda.

00:29:40.357 --> 00:29:41.037
Linda Hall: Drat.

00:29:41.237 --> 00:29:43.537
Linda Hall: Thank you so much, Mary Margaret.

00:29:43.557 --> 00:29:49.337
Linda Hall: This has been so educational, so helpful, and I'm kind of pumped to figure out where I fit into this somewhere.

00:29:49.357 --> 00:29:50.517
Linda Hall: We'll figure that out.

00:29:50.737 --> 00:29:54.757
Rita Reimers: I want to see Sweetie Pie in a little pink sparkly harness so I can take her.

00:29:55.097 --> 00:29:58.137
Rita Reimers: Everybody who sees her goes, oh, so it would be awesome at this.

00:29:58.157 --> 00:29:59.097
Linda Hall: She melts hearts.

00:29:59.137 --> 00:30:00.997
Linda Hall: I mean, just seeing her does that.

00:30:00.997 --> 00:30:02.317
Linda Hall: So yeah, exactly.

00:30:02.377 --> 00:30:03.617
Rita Reimers: I didn't name her Sweetie Pie.

00:30:03.637 --> 00:30:05.977
Rita Reimers: She came with that name and it really suited her.

00:30:05.997 --> 00:30:06.617
Rita Reimers: So I kept it.

00:30:07.097 --> 00:30:08.837
Linda Hall: Well, get a harness and get started on her.

00:30:08.957 --> 00:30:09.617
Linda Hall: That's your job now.

00:30:09.637 --> 00:30:11.597
Rita Reimers: Find me a pink sparkly harness.

00:30:11.617 --> 00:30:12.737
Linda Hall: Okay, we can do that.

00:30:12.757 --> 00:30:13.797
Linda Hall: Oh, we can do that.

00:30:14.917 --> 00:30:16.137
Rita Reimers: So thank you so much.

00:30:16.297 --> 00:30:19.517
Rita Reimers: Thank you, Linda, as always, for being my ride or die co-hosts.

00:30:19.537 --> 00:30:19.957
Linda Hall: Always.

00:30:19.977 --> 00:30:26.857
Rita Reimers: BFF, partner in life, work wife, as your husband likes to call me, Mary Margaret Callahan.

00:30:26.877 --> 00:30:28.397
Rita Reimers: I have some Irish in my family.

00:30:28.757 --> 00:30:30.017
Rita Reimers: Please come back again.

00:30:30.037 --> 00:30:34.137
Rita Reimers: You are a delight to talk with and we could probably do another hour.

00:30:34.617 --> 00:30:35.817
Linda Hall: Oh yeah, oh yeah.

00:30:36.077 --> 00:30:37.017
Mary Margaret Callahan: I would love that.

00:30:37.037 --> 00:30:41.177
Mary Margaret Callahan: You gals are great fun and we're big cat fans at Pet Partners.

00:30:41.197 --> 00:30:42.637
Mary Margaret Callahan: So we would love to be back.

00:30:42.797 --> 00:30:44.237
Linda Hall: Yay, wonderful.

00:30:44.317 --> 00:30:49.637
Rita Reimers: Let's make them more well-known as the therapeutic animals that they can be.

00:30:49.997 --> 00:30:56.557
Rita Reimers: And of course I have to thank Mark Winter for giving us this awesome spot on Pet Life Radio, making us sound so good.

00:30:56.877 --> 00:30:57.857
Rita Reimers: Thank you so much.

00:30:58.217 --> 00:31:00.897
Rita Reimers: Just remember everyone, every day is caturday.

00:31:00.997 --> 00:31:02.077
Rita Reimers: We'll see you next time.

00:31:02.717 --> 00:31:08.697
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