Cat Who Works At The Animal Hospital Does A Very Good Job Taking Care Of The Patients By Petting Them All
Perhaps there was once a great smear campaign against cats because they often have a rough reputation for being unaffectionate, aloof, and a little too independent... but both research and anecdotal experiences shared all the time strongly suggest otherwise.
Researchers from Oregon State University revealed a few years ago that a study they conducted suggests cats are just as loyal as dogs and are able to form secure emotional attachments to their owners and caregivers.
The lead researcher in the study, Dr. Kristyn Vitale, said:
“Cats that are insecure are likely to run and hide or seem to act aloof. There’s long been a biased way of thinking that all cats behave in this way, but the majority of cats use their owners as a source of security. Your cat depends on you to feel secure when they are stressed.”
Astonishingly, those researchers actually used a study developed in the 1970s to evaluate the bond infants have with their parents. They replicated testing methods to learn these fascinating things about cats.
Bea is a precious cat who is doing hard work to relieve cats everywhere of the stigma that they are not affectionate. In Oroville, California, Bea lives with six other cats, and together they all work at Look Ahead Vet.
One of the hospital's vet techs, Crystal Bessmer, told The Dodo:
“The girls are Elfie, Uno, Bea, and Peggy, and the males are OJ and Theo. They each were brought to us at various times by different clients. They were all found as stray kittens, and most of them had severe injuries.”
Bea's paws have something of a "healing touch," and alongside her fellow rescue cat squad, she has free reign over the animal hospital.
Hospital employees say the band of strays are "never happier than when they're together." And... they each play an important role in the everyday functions of the hospital!
Specifically, these once-strays-turned-hospital-employees help owners and patients feel better. Crystal says:
“It’s a fairly big indoor hospital, so they have lots of room to run and explore. We all care for them throughout the day with love and snuggles, and our clients absolutely adore them. They’ve been very therapeutic for our clients and for us.”
Each of the cats has a special job, and Bea's? Well, it's petting the patients—something she is quite determined to do, whether the patients are interested or not (and she looks adorable doing it).
“She’s always so curious and so gentle,” Bessmer explained in an interview with The Dodo. “She loves to walk up to them and often just puts her paw in slowly to check them out. Oftentimes she’ll even pet them.”
“She definitely loves everyone, especially the new kitten, Peggy,” she added. “She’s always been like that, too. She never seems to be afraid of anything either—even the really big farm animals.”
Bea is really into petting; she even taught the hospital's latest kitten how to get in on the petting action.
Each cat has something they're particularly good at, too. Crystal explained:
“Theo’s definitely the comforter… he can sense when someone is really sad, and he’ll go and sit on their lap. We call Elfie the head of security because she’s a little spicy and likes to run towards the chaos. OJ is our doorman. He loves to hang out by the door and greet everyone.
Uno is our babysitter. She loves to watch puppies and kittens, especially, and keep an eye on them. Lastly, our new addition, Peggy. She’s still pretty young, so we call her the 'hospital cat in training' or ‘intern.’”
Animal hospitals in the United States have never been busier. Animal adoptions skyrocketed during the first year of the pandemic, but there wasn't a comparable increase in veterinarians and vet techs.
Many days for the employees of the animal hospital are long, and the cats aren't just there for the patients; they make the long days easier for the staff, too.
“We’re all very close to them because we work long hours here,” Bessmer said. “Most of us are here more than we are at home, so we treat them like they’re our own, which basically they are.”
Crystal has been running a TikTok that primarily focuses on sharing her daily shenanigans with the cats at the hospital and what it's like being a vet technician. The cats and their personalities have been drawing in more of a crowd of fans and followers every day, as they recently passed 200k followers!
Maybe this is a good reminder to show some love and appreciation to everyone working in the veterinary industry? Bea can inspire us all!
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