😸 Should therapy cats be allowed in airports?

May 14

For many people, the idea of hopping on a plane isn’t always a positive one. And it’s not necessarily the plane itself–it’s all the factors that surround it.

Long airport security lines, delayed flights, short layovers… And the whole time, you’re likely already missing the sweet pet you had to leave behind.

That’s why some airports started enlisting in special help from therapy animals.

Programs like CATS (Canine Airport Therapy Squad) at Denver International Airport (DIA) include over 125 dogs who come in to help ease stress for travelers from all over the world.

But in 2018, they realized something was missing… And Liane and Nathan had just what they needed:

Their very first therapy cat: Xeli.

A love for animals brought them together

“One day when I was in high school, we opened up our garage and there was a little chihuahua in our driveway. He didn't have a collar or anything, so we walked around the neighborhood asking neighbors if he was their dog. We put up signs too. And my mom was like, ‘Don't get attached to that dog, it belongs to somebody…’ But we ended up keeping him.”

Before Liane and Nathan met, they both had a long history of loving animals–Something that eventually drew them even closer.

As a child, Nathan always had pets in the family so having a dog or cat nearby was part of life.

Liane, on the other hand, had to wait until she was older. Because of her mother’s cat allergy, she admired her neighbor’s cat from a distance every time it walked across the fence.

But in high school, a runaway dog in their driveway changed everything. After failing to find his owner, Oliver became part of the family.

Not long after, her family noticed another dog roaming the street. Liane managed to catch him and Lucky became Oliver’s new bestie.

But when it was time for Liane to head to college, her parents were so in love with these dogs, they refused to let either go with her.

That’s when she got Simba, a sweet Pomeranian who was being rehomed.

This is where Liane and Nathan’s paths crossed. Meeting at work, they quickly discovered they both shared a love for animals.

But between Nathan’s two cats (Izzy and Oscar) and a dog (Sasu), and Liane’s dog, Simba… It wasn’t enough.

Together, they went to meet a Shiba Inu (Aki) who joined Liane in her home…

And eventually, they came across Xeli.

Xeli wasn’t just any cat

“Nathan loves going to PetSmart to play with the kittens whenever we’re there. But that day, he saw her. Xeli was a few months old and so friendly, rubbing up against the bars. He was like, ‘Should I adopt her? Should I apply to get this cat? And I was like, ‘Sure, why not? What's another animal?”

Unable to resist Xeli’s charm, they applied–and got approved–to adopt her. Though they were still living in separate homes, their tally was now 3 cats and 3 dogs.

Xeli–whose name was inspired by one of Liane’s old gamer friend’s online identity–was quickly accepted by the other pets.

And Aki, who was only a few months older than Xeli, treated her like she was just another one of the dogs.

Taking cues from her dog friends, Xeli learned how to use the dog door and came right up to greet human visitors… And there were a lot of those.

Every Tuesday night, Liane and Nathan would host a night with friends, where they’d make dinner, play games, and just hang out.

And even though some of those friends didn’t care for cats, they noticed Xeli was different.

“A couple of our friends weren’t really cat people, but Xeli would just come up and beg them for attention. They’d say, ‘She’s just the sweetest cat. I don’t usually like cats but I like Xeli.’ Then they said she’d make a great therapy cat. We were like, ‘Wait, that’s a thing?’”

After researching information about therapy animals, Nathan and Liana came across Pet Partners, an organization that offers education, evaluation, certification, and insurance for therapy animals.

Thinking this could be an interesting opportunity, Nathan decided to go through the program first, learning how to work with Xeli in various settings and advocate for her based on her needs.

And that’s when Xeli really started to make an impact.

Learning the ropes as a therapy cat

“She always passes her evaluations with flying colors. There’s different levels of complexity and she always passes at the top… Which is great, because the airport is probably the most chaotic place to take an animal. There's all sorts of people, all sorts of noises.”

Before even stepping foot (and paw) into a therapy setting, Xeli and Nathan went through a training program to ensure she’d be a good fit.

Here, Xeli was put in different situations to see how she’d react.

What would she do if there was a loud noise? How would she react when passing by a neutral dog? How did she act in large groups of people? What would she do around wheelchairs or other assistive devices?

Unlike many cats, Xeli was unphased and was ready to provide love for humans who needed it.

She got her start around 2016 in smaller settings like memory care units. There, many older people experiencing things like dementia or Alzheimer's looked forward to spending time with her.

“We'd hear all sorts of stories from these people reminiscing about the pets they used to have while they were petting Xeli. It was really cool.”

Then, in 2018, Nathan received an email from Denver’s Pet Partners that said Denver’s airport dog therapy animal program (CATS) was doing so well, but they wanted to bring a cat onto the team.

They took Xeli in to meet the CATS team, and they immediately fell in love with her.

Liane decided to go through the Pet Partners program so she could assist Nathan, and once that was completed, Xeli started her new role at the airport.

Easing stress with purrs and headbutts

“We've met so many people who are like, ‘I just needed this today.’ Their flight was delayed, their cat just passed away, they miss their cat, or they’re just having a rough day… The list goes on. We've heard a bunch of things.”

On the days Nathan and Liane bring Xeli to the airport, she tends to turn a lot of heads.

Out of curiosity, some ask why she and Nathan are wearing matching vests. Those who love pets might wish they could pet her, not realizing they actually can!

Some may recognize her from advertisements within the airport, wondering if she’s the cat they saw a photo of just moments earlier.

And those who are familiar with CATS, especially the airport employees, know that each therapy pet has a special “trading card” and want to meet each animal so they can collect them all.

But it’s the people who look like they may be having a hard time who make this work the most rewarding.

When people realize they can pet or hold her, their face lights up. Liane and Nathan can practically see the stress ease away.

For Liane, who tends to be more introverted, these interactions give her purpose and motivate her to continue brightening others’ lives with Xeli’s presence.

And when she’s not at the airport, Xeli’s sometimes requested as a special guest, a local celebrity in her own right.

She’s joined other therapy animals at Make-A-Wish-type events, ribbon-cutting ceremonies, or other situations where she can continue providing support.

She even met one of the former Denver mayors!

But life isn’t just full of work for Xeli. She enjoys plenty of down time just being a cat.

Bringing joy to life at home too

“It's just so calming to sit there and pet a cat, you know? When my husband and I come home, we don't have kids and we just love animals… And so we'll sit on the couch and the cats are just immediately there with us.”

With a home full of animals, there’s never a dull moment–and there’s always plenty of love to go around.

Liane feels she and Nathan have been blessed with the best pets. They’ve always gotten along and there’s never been any major issues.

Things like cats jumping on the counter while she’s trying to prepare food or preventing Xeli from trying to eat bread through the packaging (weird, we know!), are minor things to address.

But every day, their home is filled with love, cuddles, and lots of entertainment.

If anything, it just reaffirms the fact that their love for animals runs deep.

When your family includes a small zoo of pets, there’s a lot of details and routines to keep in mind.

So if you had to step away–for a few days, months, or even indefinitely–would someone know exactly what to do so they continue feeling loved, safe, and supported?