Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/nurse-cat-hospital/

There’s a dreadful feeling whenever a hospital crosses your mind. Although it’s also a place of birth, most people who stay in hospitals either have a disease or got into an accident. Patients dislike the feeling of waiting for a result which can be good or bad news. The possibility of getting admitted to the hospital for a long time also induces apprehension. You’ll never know when you’ll be able to go out since you are under observation. Nights are filled with worry, and you’ll feel hopeless from time to time.

For this reason, the patient must have a companion. It would be best if you had someone to talk to about your fears. A person who will provide assurance that everything will be alright in time. Humans can influence each other’s hopes, and animals also need that. Veterinary hospitals admit patients similarly to humans but don’t have loved ones to accompany them. Animal patients don’t just look weak due to their condition because anxiety also contributes to their current state. They also need someone to calm them down and assure them that the procedure will be over soon.

A veterinary hospital in Oroville provides comfort to their patients with the help of their nurse cat. Look Ahead Veterinary Hospital has their precious Bea as the head of the animal nursing department. The sweet feline consoles various animals by petting them through their cages. Even if it’s a goat, a chicken, or a pig, anyone who needs comfort, Bea will surely approach them. “We make sure that if an animal comes in, they are used to cats, and the owner’s ok with her coming in.” Crystal shared. “I like to think that she understands, ‘Hey, I’ve been there before.’ She just sympathizes with them.”

Bea already built a routine whenever there’s a new patient around. She would sit in front of the cage for 10-20 minutes until she felt it was okay to reach her paw. The nurse cat wanted to ensure that the animal gave consent and that they were happy. It’s delightful to see that animal patients love the comfort of having Bea around — they must have sensed that she genuinely cares. The feline became the hospital’s sweetheart ever since she was brought to Look Ahead as a baby. Crystal mentioned that when animals loved the hospital, they allowed them to stay.

After Bea, the hospital took in another feline named Peggy. As usual, Bea was accommodating and even made friends with the newcomer. The two became best buds then the hospital decided to keep Peggy as well. “Peggy kinda follows Bea around, almost like she’s just trying to mimic what Bea does. If Bea is running around, then Peggy will be running around.” Crystal shared. They are inseparable, and their remarkable friendship gives happiness to the center.

Aside from friendship, Bea also trained Peggy to be a nurse cat. Fascinatingly, Peggy quickly learned how Bea offers comfort to their patients. Sometimes the two would even take turns — Peggy can already do it herself without her senior’s supervision. Like human nurses, they have shifts of their own. If one is sleeping, the other one has to take duty. Bea taught Peggy excellently, which you can witness in the video below. You could also follow the hospital cats on TikTok to get your daily dose of joy and hope from across your device’s screen.

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Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog