Breaktime read
Xeli — taking the stress out of travelling
CAT-CHING
A FLIGHT
Since 2019, Nikki has volunteered with Stitches once a week in the airport’s terminal 1 until the pandemic struck. “People would love seeing Stitches. They would say ‘I’ve never seen a cat at an airport,’ and then start rubbing her head and tummy. “Passengers love having her there — some people associate cats with calm and warmth more than dogs. And she helps with stress as she makes people feel like they are more at home, so they relax, and are able to relax a little and forget that they’re in a hectic airport.” The 14-year-old cat never tires of being petted. “We visit the airport and she lies in her stroller and purrs,” said Nikki. “And if they stop, she gives them ‘the look’, which makes them start stroking her again!” The only time that Stitches might be distracted from getting all the strokes she can is if they pass a restaurant, then she sits up to “sniff out cheeseburgers and pizza!” Pretty Stitches loves volunteering at the Stitches is a very experienced therapy airport so much that on a day when cat. Before covid, she volunteered she is working, she will wake her at a nursing home, colleges, owner up! high schools, workplaces, and “She never wakes me stress reduction events, and up usually,” said Nikki Christopher. “But when I’ve You can see videos of would also go to elementary schools where pupils would told her the night before that airport therapy read to her. we’re going to the airport the cat Stiches on Nikki said: “She is never next day, she will be there in YouTube. done being petted, she loves the morning making sure I’m up being stroked everywhere, and has bright and early. Then she stays by to be the centre of attention.” my side or sits in her stroller until Stitches is a rescue cat who was bottle-fed we leave.” after she and her littermates were found Stitches in motherless when a giant tornado hit nearby. her stroller. Nikki describes her personality as “ultra princess sillypants.” And it’s not just passengers who like seeing Stitches at the airport. “She has a great fan base with employees,” said Nikki. “She’s great at de-stressing the employees. Some departments even send out texts when she’s spotted!” And is an airport therapy cat better than a therapy dog? Nikki added: “Stitches would say of course cats are better! She would say that she’s better behaved, smells better, is smarter, and better looking!”
eading off on holiday for some sun and relaxation should be a time of joy but one part of the journey does throw up some unexpected stress: the airport. Even for those passengers who aren’t nervous about flying, there are other pressures: where is that passport? Did you remember to pack your toothpaste? How big can your carry-on bag be? Plus, there’s that big worry at any airport — making sure you find the right departure gate with enough time so you don’t miss the plane! So, what’s the answer? Some lucky passengers have a four-legged remedy to the stresses and strains of airports — a therapy cat. We find out more about two of these airport angels.
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Stitches — making the airport seem like home
DID YOU KNOW?
THERAPY PETS AT AIRPORTS Stitches can’t get enough of being stroked, loves people, and is drawn to busy places which made her ideal to join the team at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport in Kentucky. The calico and tabby mix — a tabico! — was the first cat to join the airport’s Animal Ambassador programme, currently consisting of about 45 dogs.
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San Jose International Airport in California was the first airport to offer therapy dogs in terminals, starting shortly after the 9/11 attacks, to help calm passengers’ nerves before flying. It’s thought that now more than 40 US airports have therapy animals. San Francisco International Airport even has a therapy Pig. Lilou, a Juliana, is part of a massive team of more than 300 dog, cat, and
people’s laps and just getting stroked,” said If you’re travelling through Denver Airport the 34-year-old. “Sometimes people barely then you might be fortunate to spot Xeli, agree to hold her before she jumps right the therapy cat giving out her calming on their lap, or sits on top of their suitcase. vibes to some of the 59 million passengers She is a sucker for attention and the who pass through each year. airport provides no shortage of cat people, She is part of the Canine Airport wanting to talk to us, but more importantly Therapy Squad (CATS) which is made up petting and holding Xeli.” of more than 80 therapy dogs and herself, To become a certified therapy cat in the only cat. CATS was set up in 2015 the US, Nathan and Liane had to do and is the largest airport therapy animal some online training and an in-person programme in the US. assessment for both of them and for Xeli, “Everyone is pretty surprised when they to make sure that she was happy see a cat at the airport,” said Xeli’s meeting new people, handling owner Nathan Pensack-Rinehart large spaces, and unexpected who volunteers with his wife, noises. They hold a certificate Liane. “They will do a quick with Pet Partners, one of the double-take or just light up Xeli and Stiches US’s largest animal therapy with excitement if they are have made the news organisations. After all that, cat people — completely around the world for there was an airport security not expecting to see a cat at their impact as airport check and an introductory the airport.” therapy cats. visit — and then it was Xeli, pronounced Zell-ee, take-off! joined the team in 2017 and Nathan said that lots of sports a blue c harness with the travellers say they can’t believe words Pet Me on them. Since the first how chilled out Xeli is in such a busy day she volunteered, the rescue cat has environment: “Many passengers who we proved popular among the passengers and talk to express how amazing it is that airport workers. she’s able to be calm and friendly in such Nathan said that every time they a large, open space, but love that she is volunteered at the airport, they had a there.” different experience: “During a typical He added: “But it’s just her personality visit, we pick a concourse and walk — she’s a natural! She is super-friendly, through it, seeing where the shift takes us sweet, and is always looking for a head or and who we’ll meet. Sometimes it’s super tail scratch, or a lap to sit on.” busy, other times it’s slow depending on All the animals in the Denver Airport the flight schedules on that given day CATS have their own ‘trading cards’, with and time. their photo, name, and some fun facts about them. Xeli’s card says her favourite Xeli loves attention. treat is catnip and her favourite activity is making friends! Nathan said: “Employees like to collect as many different CATS cards as they can by meeting the different team members. We’ve heard sometimes Xeli is called the ‘unicorn’ since she’s the only cat and so pretty rare.” During covid, the couple and Xeli had to stop volunteering but now they are happy to be back among the passengers with Xeli about once a month. Nathan said that working with Xeli at the airport was really fun and rewarding: “During nearly, if not every, visit, employees, passengers, “Some visits we barely move from or both will tell us how that completely getting past the entrance and other times made their day. we talk to large groups of kids at various “On our most recent volunteer visit to gates. It’s anyone’s guess what the day the airport, we met a guy who missed his will bring!” flight and so needed to spend more than Whenever the couple, who live in eight hours there until the next one, and Denver too, find people interested in he was pretty down about it. When he the 10-year-old brown tabby, they stop saw us, he immediately lit up and loved and chat for a while, talking about the chatting with us and, of course, holding animal therapy programme or whatever Xeli. It made the missed flight almost a conversation might crop up. “Often they blessing in disguise.” will tell us about their pets, especially And, most importantly of all, Xeli their cats, or sometimes about their trip in enjoys it! Nathan says she likes the variety or out of Colorado.” of new sights and smells. “We can tell how It’s during these chats that charming much she likes her trips to the airport. Xeli will work her magic, getting close to She’s very relaxed and enjoys being held the passengers, and as they stroke her, her or sitting on people’s laps. And even when calming nature can make the pressures of it’s time for them to get their flight, she travel melt away. Passengers can hug, pet, won’t want to get up but will want to stay and take pictures with Xeli. sitting on their laps! She really loves it.” “She loves sitting on all sorts of
DID YOU KNOW?
rabbit volunteers on their Wag Brigade team of volunteers. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport has miniature therapy horses! The unique programme is a nod to the area’s equestrian history. The UK’s first airport therapy dogs started work at Aberdeen Airport in 2019, but as yet, there do not appear to be any airport therapy cats in this country.
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15/06/2022 09:37
