OkcPets Magazine March 2023

March / April 2023 • OKC Pets 31 WELCOMING ANIMALS Being Pet Friendly Works Both Ways by Rowena Mills I first heard of pet-friendly plac- es of business a long time ago but didn’t pay much attention until my father and I visited a family friend in a nursing home. I noticed a dog in the lobby. I asked if we could bring a well-behaved cat sometime, and the answer was yes. So on the next trip, we took along Chester, aka Mr. Cool. Chester was a short-haired gray tabby who had showed up in the yard at six months old, neutered, friendly, and totally self-confident. He loved to take walks outside on a leash. He was without a doubt the smartest cat I have ever known. He opened cabinet doors at all levels and somehow closed them behind him so that when a person opened the cabi- net, Chester was sitting there calmly gazing out. Stretched to his full height, he tried hard to open doorknobs and would have done so if he could have hooked his claws into anything. But even more amazingly, Chester fol- lowed verbal commands perfectly and with- out training. “Chester, we have a job to do” meant it was time for him to wake up my mother by jumping onto the bed. “Chester, say hello to Rosalind” (or whomever) was the cue for him to put his paws on the visitor’s lap and stare into her face. And “Chester, show us your nails” caused him to stick out his paw to show off his spiffy vinyl nail caps. So at the nursing home, I asked the resi- dents if they would welcome an entertaining feline visitor. All said yes. After my father and I introduced Chester to our friend, I took off the leash and told him to please visit every person in that wing. He trotted off happily. I checked on Chester every few minutes, and he and the residents were getting along fine. He spent a few minutes with each one and then left politely for the next room. He didn’t overlook a single person. When we were ready to leave after 45 minutes, I found Chester curled up on a bed in the last room at the end of the hall, waiting patiently to head home. It was a perfect pet-friendly day — the hu- mans were friendly, and the pet was friendly. Chester generated a lot of happiness that day for those people and himself, and all of them looked forward to his next visit. Putting Out the Welcome Mat Nursing homes are just one type of business that increasingly welcomes animal visitors. Restaurant patios, computer stores, insur- ance companies, assisted-living centers, botanical gardens, and various others are also on the list. Many businesses provide treats, water, shade, grassy areas, and walk- ing trails for animal visitors, but being pet friendly goes beyond that. It is a recognition that animals and people share an important bond. It’s called love. And people want their beloved animal companions to share their living experiences and their outings. Some places not only have animal visitors, they have animal residents. People living in some senior centers bring their pets with them, including dogs, cats, birds, and hamsters. Some businesses have staff dogs, cats, fish, birds, and lizards on the premises. Other places share the outdoors with peacocks and all kinds of wildlife, including wild turkeys, deer, and turtles. The people who live and work at those places realize the value of being surrounded by nature and its wonderful creatures. Expanding the Boundaries In many people’s minds, pet friendly is synonymous with dog friendly, and some restaurant patios and other places do limit four-legged visitors to canines. But some others welcome cats, pigs, and other pets too. So if you want to take your little buddy with you, check with your destination to see what animals are allowed. Some cats learn to walk on a leash with no problem. Animal carriers and strollers make it easy to take various kinds of pets along on your jaunts. But every animal is unique, and not all of them are suited to going everywhere with you. Don’t let your desire to include your pet in your activities stress him out. Be sure the visit is fun for the animal and not just for you. It might take a while to reach that goal, so be patient and stay aware of how your pet reacts. If you move, be sure your next home — whether in a house, apartment, or retirement center — will be a good place for your ani- mals too. They aren’t like part of the family — they are part of the family. And if you too have a cool kiddo like Chester in your household, share him with other people as a goodwill ambassador. After all, being friendly goes both ways — for pets and people. Pet-friendly visits aren’t just for canines. A friendly feline or other pet can be a welcome guest too.