Animal-Supportive Homes
Barriers in Therapeutic Environments
However, the practical challenges that come with animals typically preclude them from being a part of trauma recovery therapy. Some of the top concerns:
- Anxiety or injury from aggressive behavior
- Eye and skin irritation from allergens
- Unpleasant odors, particularly from litter boxes
- Disruption from pet sounds
Furthermore, having animals in the home requires additional work to care for and clean up after them. In individual living facilities, while routine caregiving responsibilities can be therapeutic, they can also overwhelm a person already operating at diminished capacity, leading to follow-on concerns over cleanliness, health, hygiene, and animal welfare. In group living facilities, animal tasks can be taken care of by staff, but this increases workload and can be an unwelcome distraction when residents need attention.
Better Living Through Architecture
These are significant barriers; however, they are all greatly reduced in an environment designed to accommodate the living needs of animals. Creating such an environment requires considerable effort and resources; however, it is especially warranted for trauma recovery housing facilities, as animals have been shown to be able to help survivors of extreme trauma, even when they were unresponsive to all other human contact. To that end, Haven House and Cloud Nine Studios were built to support the physical and psychological needs of cats without detracting from the living environment for people.
Animal-supportive architectural elements were used throughout each home. Litter closets completely eliminate litter box odor and contain other features that greatly reduce the distribution of allergens. Bowl basins and cat lofts take care of cats' most essential needs, leading to lowered stress and calm, docile behavior.
The Animal-Supportive Architecture section has a complete list of features in each home and more information on how those features work. However, in general, Haven House was built for flexibility, with five ventilated areas for litter boxes and ten different configurations for cat-safe living environments using a special gate and various combinations of bedrooms. On the other hand, Cloud Nine Studios was built for high functionality, allowing one person living alone in a small space to have up to three cats while maintaining a pleasantly clean and harmonious home. By providing a living environment where pets are treated as essential members of the household rather than afterthoughts, animal-supportive homes such as these make the benefits of animal companionship for more accessible to people recovering from trauma.
Please Note: While dogs are more often used in animal-assisted therapy, much of that consists of short sessions where the recipients do not live with or have to care for the animals. Cats were chosen as ideal animal companions for trauma recovery because of their relatively undemanding maintenance requirements, ability to be safely left alone for long periods, and lower potential for disruptive noise. Plus, cats have a naturally calming effect, with their purring occurring at therapeutic frequencies that can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and promote relaxation.