Penasquitos therapy cat wins ‘Hall of Fame’ honor
Moorea, a cat who has provided comfort to hospice patients and elderly residents in Rancho Bernardo, Poway and Sabre Springs, is being honored Friday.
Moorea and her owners, Rancho Penasquitos residents Nancy and Mike Denen, received a trip to San Francisco so Moorea can receive the California Veterinary Medical Association’s 2010 Animal Hall of Fame Award.
The award honors “animals whose daily interaction with people best represents the important bond between animals and humans,” according to the award notification letter.
It is rare for a cat to win, since most pet therapy animals are dogs, Nancy Denen said.
Moorea was nominated by Carmel Mountain Ranch-based veterinarian Kim Dembinski.
Since November 2004, the Denens, both retired teachers, have been taking Moorea to local retirement facilities.
Nancy Denen said the idea to do volunteer work with Moorea began soon after she took the cat to Villa Pomerado in Poway to visit her father, Richard Ebner, who died in April 2004.
“He enjoyed our cat and many of the residents who saw her said they have dogs (visit) but they are cat lovers,” Denen said.
Seeing a need for this type of comfort and enjoyment, Denen looked into pet therapy certification. A Corridor News article led to joining Love On A Leash, which locally has four certified cat teams and 42 dog teams. One rabbit is going through training, Denen added. LOAL certification led to Moorea becoming qualified to also visit Elizabeth Hospice patients in North County.
Through LOAL, Moorea visits residents at The Remington Club in Rancho Bernardo, Poway Adult Day Health Care Center, Belmont Village in Sabre Springs and Redwood Terrace in Escondido.
At some places, Moorea visits on an individual basis. At others, she is in a group setting and passed from lap to lap. When patients are unable to hold her in their laps, Moorea cuddles next to them in their beds, Denen said.
Moorea, who per regulations must be on a leash during visits, often elicits giggles from people who see her because she arrives riding in a stroller, Denen said.
Therapy work is less common for cats because most would rather hide under a bed than go up to strangers, Denen said. Moorea is “a dog cat” because “she will come when called and greet a person at the door like dogs do,” she said.
Moorea’s easy going, lovable nature was obvious to Denen the day the couple adopted the stray from the Carlsbad Animal Shelter in October 1999.
“When we first held her, she was purring and nuzzling and we were strangers,” Denen recalled.
While most cats do not enjoy car rides, Denen said Moorea, estimated to now be 13 years old, was very contented in her carrier on her trip to her new home. Now, Moorea rides without the carrier, opting at times to balance on a door so she can look out the window.
Denen said it took Moorea, named after the couple’s favorite vacation spot near Tahiti, a while to get used to a collar and leash. But once she realized she could not go outside without it, accepted the restraint.
“She has never bitten or scratched,” Denen said, adding Moorea “scolds” her owners when they try to pick her up from a patient and she wants to stay longer.
On average, the couple spends three hours a week visiting people with Moorea, which Denen called a “rewarding” experience.
“They brighten up when she comes and their smiles are so worth it,” she said, adding they meet many interesting people.
“We learn their history, some have been through wars,” Denen said. “They have a wealth of information and when we find it out, that’s an added bonus.”
For Love On A Leash information, go to www.SanDiegoLOAL.com or call Robin Kaufman at 858-487-6227.
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