At one time, Kenny, a handsome gray and white cat, was unwanted, sick and slated to die at an Arizona animal shelter. Today, this charming feline and his new owner, Diane McGuire, teach love, kindness and mutual respect to children who have been abused and neglected.
Nearly seven years ago animal lover Diane McGuire delivered pet food that coworkers at the Kitchell Company had collected for a Christmas gift to the Arizona Animal Welfare League, the shelter that rescued Kenny. An employee showed McGuire around the bustling facility that housed homeless dogs and cats. A young cat with soothing green eyes grabbed McGuire’s attention.
The cool cat seemed like he was relaxing at a spa, not stuck in a cage, recalls McGuire. “He’d been at the shelter for over a year,” McGuire says. “He had some sort of pancreatic disorder and needed special enzymes to help digest his food.”
Several days later, McGuire had business near the shelter. Thoughts of the gray and white cat still lingered. “What was I thinking?” says McGuire. “I already had dogs, birds and a horse. I didn’t need another animal but I couldn’t shake the image of that cat.”
Was it fate or did the cat’s special needs reach out to McGuire because she too has an extraordinary story? Nearly deaf since childhood, the result of nerve damage caused by a virus, McGuire endured silence for much of her 50 years. Adept at lip reading, she led an active life, juggling employment with pet ownership, among other activities. She made use of some technology and in other ways, just coped. She used a TTY for phone calls, watched television with subtitles, and her “doorbell” was a frantic dog barking.
Finally, about eight years ago, McGuire received a cochlear implant. “I was one of the earlier recipients,” McGuire says. “When my audiologist said I was a candidate, I didn’t expect miracles. I just wanted to have some hearing restored.”
And that’s exactly what happened. The implant restored much of the hearing in one of McGuire’s ears. She has scant hearing in the other. Still, McGuire was delighted with the result. “Just to hear a zipper closing on a purse or a fork tapping on a plate was wonderful,” she said. “And now I can hear my animals when they talk to me.”
McGuire ended up adopting the friendly feline that chilly December day in 2000. “The first time I saw Kenny, I developed a bond with him. Was it because we both had a chronic condition that we related so well?”
Within days, Kenny found his place among McGuire’s four-footed family. His contented meows and pleasing purrs won over McGuire’s friends and coworkers too. Kenny’s winning ways also gave McGuire an idea. Scotch, one of McGuire’s dogs, was already certified with Gabriel’s Angels, a local therapy dog group whose philosophy is to break the cycle of violence in abused, abandoned and at-risk children through pet therapy. McGuire visited children at domestic violence shelters and group homes with Scotch. Maybe Kenny could follow in Scotch’s footsteps and use his feline magic to help children escape emotional trauma, she thought.
A therapy cat? Most therapy partners are dogs. The Delta Society, whose mission is to improve human health through service and therapy animals, only has 189 registered cats among 8,000 dogs. The other widely recognized pet therapy organization is Therapy Dog International with over 15,000 registered dogs. They do not register cats.
After passing a rigorous behavior test, the same one applied to dogs, Kenny became a card-carrying therapy member of the Delta Society. Then Kenny was accepted into Gabriel’s Angels – their first registered therapy cat. Along with at least 70 dog teams, Kenny joined the ranks of animal healers.
Kenny impressed Gabriel’s Angels Founder and President Pam Gaber when they met at a fundraiser. “He’s the mellowest and most affectionate cat I’ve ever met. Kenny is a charmer. We’re so proud to have him on board.”
Gabriel’s Angels put Kenny to work right away at Haven House and Elim House, domestic violence shelters. Resident children ranged in age from toddlers to teens.
“I thought the children might’ve been disappointed on our first visit because I didn’t bring my therapy dog Scotch, who they were used to,” says McGuire. “That wasn’t the case at all.”
In the main meeting room, children swarmed around the table where McGuire laid out a fluffy blanket and placed Kenny on it. “They were fascinated. Everyone wanted to touch him and talk to Kenny.”
Clad in his Gabriel’s Angels vest, designating him as a therapy animal, McGuire kept Kenny on a leash. Although the cat was under voice control and behavior trained, McGuire wanted to make sure he stayed close by.
“I took out Kenny’s brushes and combs. Everyone wanted to groom him,” says McGuire. “That made the children very happy.”
Andrew, a young resident at the shelter, said of Kenny, “He’s very sweet. He loves to be petted. He can’t get enough.”
While they took turns fussing over Kenny, the children told tales of pets in their lives. Some stories were hard-edged. Women and children were not the only victims of domestic violence. Sometimes the family pet was beaten up too.
Like a cat who won best in show, Kenny sat up proud with his gray and white chest thrust out. He was the cat of the hour. Some children blew kisses at him. Others hugged him. Everyone begged him to return.
McGuire and Kenny also visit Tumbleweed, a crisis shelter for troubled teens. Gia Cobb, former program manager, is especially pleased with Kenny. “We couldn’t get a better therapy cat than Kenny if we special-ordered him. He’s the most beautiful and regal of cats.”
Cobb mentioned one teenaged girl who didn’t like cats. After Kenny’s first visit, the girl asked Cobb when Kenny would return. The next time, the teen stroked Kenny and asked questions about cat care. “In a crisis shelter like ours, Kenny’s presence teaches the clients something about the power of stillness, observation and not reacting to negative stimuli.”
Kenny’s calming ways not only benefit children scarred by domestic violence. He comforts battered women as well. “Kenny pulls them in like a magnet,” McGuire says. “When the women are around him, they light up. For a change, they smile and seem happy. I’m glad that my cat can do that for women who’ve been dumped on for such a long time.”
McGuire’s life with hearing loss prepared her to relate to Kenny and his special needs. McGuire and Kenny make the perfect match to reach out to children, teens and women who, just as they did, only need a helping hand to shine.
