DECENT: FELINES CAN BE TRAINED TO BE CERTIFIED THERAPY CATS, AS 7-YEAR-OLD SPUTNIK CAN ATTEST

For my inaugural interview with a cat, Lazy Dog, the canine-friendly restaurant on Route 59 in Naperville, wasn’t the top of my list. However, when Sputnik, the certified therapy cat, suggested meeting there, who was I to object?

Sputnik, a seven-year-old long-haired feline of uncertain lineage, approaches her work with utmost dedication. With nearly 15,000 followers on Facebook and Instagram, she regularly visits nursing homes, schools, and corporate events. She shares her home with Sonya and Curt Stowers of Naperville, along with two fellow felines.

Arriving for our conversation in her personal stroller, she graciously introduced me to her human companion, also known as her owner.

“This is my assistant, Sonya,” she informed me. “She assists me with everything. According to her, I’ve been living with her since I was three days old, although naturally, I don’t recall those early days. It seems we met at the Naperville Area Humane Society, where Mom has been volunteering for nearly a decade.”

Sputnik was the smallest of her litter, weighing just four ounces when she was born. It usually takes a kitten eight weeks to grow to two pounds, at which time they’re ready to be spayed or neutered. But starting so tiny it took her 13 weeks to reach that milestone by which time she had wormed her way into the Stowers’ affection and went from foster cat to pet.

“I like to think of myself as the favorite,” Sputnik said. “Spec, the other female cat in the house, just tolerates me but Leo and I get along well. But let’s face it, not every cat is cut out to do the work I do.”

When the humane society sought cats to participate in their volunteer therapy program, Sonya gladly enrolled 4-month-old Sputnik. While certified therapy cats aren’t permitted at Naperville’s Edward Hospital like dogs are, they make regular visits to high schools, North Central College, local nursing homes, and hospice patients.

Presently, Sputnik engages in between five and ten visits each month.

“The training was akin to the canine good citizen program, but tailored for felines,” Sputnik explained. “Adjusting to wearing a harness and leash was part of it, but honestly, for a cat of my caliber, it wasn’t much of a challenge. Mom took me to pet-friendly stores and other public places to acclimate to noise, but I handled it well.”

The training process lasted approximately three and a half months. Sputnik has learned to associate her harness and bandana with work, eagerly anticipating her outings and enjoying car rides.

“Did you know that only 5% of therapy animals are cats? Dogs make up the majority, with a few horses thrown in. Though getting a horse into a car can be quite the task,” Sputnik remarked, chuckling at her own jest.

“People often express surprise that cats can fulfill this role, or inquire why cat therapy wasn’t available when they were in the hospital,” she continued. “Some even jokingly refer to Mom as Cat Woman. Establishing a bond with my handler is crucial. I trust her to ensure my safety so I can focus on my duties, which mainly involve maintaining my beauty, receiving admiration, and managing my social media presence. You could say I’m a feline Kim Kardashian.”

Sputnik spontaneously decided to create her own Facebook page in 2019. With Mom’s assistance, she posts regularly and boasts followers from across the globe. Recently achieving rising creator status, some of her posts are monetized. As a birthday gesture, she donated $350 to the humane society.

During the pandemic Sputnik missed work so much that she sent photos and emails to some of the places she visited previously. They were delighted to hear from her, she said.

“Many of my followers are women over 60, but there are also some teenagers,” she mentioned. “I enjoy receiving likes, or ‘licks’ as I prefer to call them. Sometimes, I receive private messages from people. One individual shared that looking at my pictures on their phone helped them through a panic attack while they were on a bus.”

Another person wrote to express their journey through drug rehabilitation.

When she’s not on duty, Sputnik insists she’s just a regular pet and doesn’t let the attention get to her head. She spends her downtime catching up on sleep, averaging about 16 hours a day, and maintains her top shape through grooming and playing with toys. She also enjoys watching basketball on TV, particularly the University of Illinois games. As for music, she has a fondness for Cat Stevens, though she finds Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Cats” to be quite “clawful.”