"Service" cats?

[Toad]

I hope that Heathreil will come back and tell us how this all works!

[momatibm]

I hope that Heathreil will come back and tell us how this all works!

 

 

I hope everything works out for her

[heathriel]

Will do!

 

I have a very supportive Roll Call, and have advance word that the ship is looking forward to having him aboard (although, I'm sure that's what they say to all their furry friends.)

[jetwet1]

Just to hijack the thread again, my DW and I are looking at "retiring" on a cruise ship for a while in a few years, as I was bored one day I did a quick call around to see which lines would be most open to bringing a cat or dog along for the ride.

 

Most were pretty much unless it's a service animal we want nothing to do with it, which when you face it is pretty understandable.

 

One cruise line, I won't name names, but we will call them HAL as it's an easy name was less stand offish about it though the person I spoke to did say cats are easier than dogs on a ship...I guess she has no idea what a Savannah is then :D

 

But this is as I said a few years off yet, but I really have to get a picture of the room steward when he/she first goes face to face with a Savannah :p

[heathriel]

Cunard is the only "US" cruise line I'm aware of that allows *pets* - they have a 12 kennels on every ship, and an animal attendant.

 

You need to book these kennels pretty far in advance, as you can imagine, and your animal doesn't get to stay in your cabin with you, but it is an option.

[fishbabe]

Another "invisible disability" is epilepsy.

 

An amazing variety of species - dogs, cats, even snakes - are able to help predict seizures. ....

 

Snakes?? Not in the dining room please. :eek: And even with the little green vest (custom-made, I assume), I'd prefer to know this type of service animal is not in the stateroom next door. Love to see pics of the Bengal cat, however.

 

Interesting link posted on page 1, especially as to the distinction between a "therapy animal" (no ADA protection in "public accommodations") vs. a "service animal" (ADA protection in the U.S. re. "public accommodations"). I assume the service cat owner's cruise begins, ends or visits a U.S. port, triggering ADA in that port?

[heathriel]

You are correct. Here's a link to the addendum covering Cruise Ships under the ADA.

 

http://www.advocacyinc.org/AC20.cfm

[serendipity1499]

Since we have many Animal lovers on this board, thought some of you might be interested in an article on MSNBC..It discusses the longevity of our pets & service animals with tips for keeping them with us longer..

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33076736/ns/health-pet_health/

 

Betty

[CowPrincess]

Begin off-topic thread drift:

 

Fascinating reading, serenity1499. I looked after a dog who was at least 19, but believed to be 21 or 22 (she came from a shelter as an adult stray), and several cats 19, 20, up to 22 years of age.

 

End thread drift :)

[JimVrhovac]

Have read the majority of the posts on this subject but no real definition of what TYPE OF SERVICE does this animal do for the patient or owner or the person it is serving.

 

A seing eye dog helps a person navigate.

 

A service monkey can help a person but getting items out of a cubbard

 

There are trained cats and dogs that go into nursing homes to make the residents feel better but THESE ARE NOT SERVICE ANIMALS.

 

Could you please define the services that this animal provides to you

 

Please

 

Jim, Without Ruth

[RuthC]

Could you please define the services that this animal provides to you

I thought the cat's owner posted that the cat alerts when the owner stops breathing while asleep. I believe it was said that the condition was not apnea, or that a CPAP would do no good.

[JimVrhovac]

You know me as I have been on these boards a long time.

 

I have cats of my own and love them dearly but do not drag them everywhere with me.

 

Not to sound hard but that sounds like a psychological problem with the people and their inability to leave the cat at home where it belongs.

 

I am a registered nurse and have been doing homecare for over 25 years and have never heard of anything like this.

 

I hope HAL requires detailed documentation before they allow them to bring their animals onto the ship...

 

I may be wrong, and will be the first to admit it if I am, but I do not think I am....

 

JUST MY OPINION.....

 

Jim (without Ruth)

[serendipity1499]

Have read the majority of the posts on this subject but no real definition of what TYPE OF SERVICE does this animal do for the patient or owner or the person it is serving.

 

A seing eye dog helps a person navigate.

 

A service monkey can help a person but getting items out of a cubbard

 

There are trained cats and dogs that go into nursing homes to make the residents feel better but THESE ARE NOT SERVICE ANIMALS.

 

Could you please define the services that this animal provides to you

 

Please

 

Jim, Without Ruth

 

I thought the cat's owner posted that the cat alerts when the owner stops breathing while asleep. I believe it was said that the condition was not apnea, or that a CPAP would do no good.

 

Ruth is correct..Heatheriel stated that her Bengal is trained to wake her up if she stops breathing...You've missed her posts within this thread.. Therefore according to the ADA he is a Service Animal & Heatheriel is taking him on a HAL cruise..she also posted a WEB site which explains the ADA regulation re service animals for Cruise Ships..

http://www.advocacyinc.org/AC20.cfm

I have a Therapy Dog, & am insured with Therapy Dogs Inc. We visit patients in our hospital & also work in the reading program at a local school..

You are correct, I can't take my Dog on a Cruise, as she is not a Service Animal..

However, we have three Therapy Dogs, which are fully trained to be Service Animals in our program... Their Handlers, ( or Masters, for want of a better word) are certified Puppy Raisers for Southeastern Guide Dogs..They have taken their dogs on a HAL cruise..Their animals training is much more intense...

 

By the way, according to the ADA it is illegal for any establishment to ask for detailed or written documentation on a Service Animal..I don't believe that HAL can ask for any documentation either..

Betty

[serendipity1499]

This Govt. WEB site has several questions & answers re service animals..

 

http://www.ada.gov/qasrvc.htm

 

3. Q: How can I tell if an animal is really a service animal and not just a pet?

A: Some, but not all, service animals wear special collars and harnesses. Some, but not all, are licensed or certified and have identification papers. If you are not certain that an animal is a service animal, you may ask the person who has the animal if it is a service animal required because of a disability. However, an individual who is going to a restaurant or theater is not likely to be carrying documentation of his or her medical condition or disability. Therefore, such documentation generally may not be required as a condition for providing service to an individual accompanied by a service animal. Although a number of states have programs to certify service animals, you may not insist on proof of state certification before permitting the service animal to accompany the person with a disability.

 

4. Q: What must I do when an individual with a service animal comes to my business?

A: The service animal must be permitted to accompany the individual with a disability to all areas of the facility where customers are normally allowed to go. An individual with a service animal may not be segregated from other customers.

 

 

[MISSV]

Hi Very interesting ..could you please indicate when you will be sailing on Holland america and the ship you will be on with this Special Cat ???? thank you ...

[heathriel]

Actually, the process to bring a service animal aboard a HAL ship is fairly complex. There's been much conversation, it's required many forms, and they do need me to provide a higher amount of documentation than I do for, say, an airline.

 

However, I have it all, because he's a Service Animal. He is not an emotional support animal, which HAL does not allow aboard, although, those animals *are* allowed under the ADA as well, but *comfort* animals (ones that go to rest homes, hospitals) are not.

 

Basically, if you have an ADA covered mental disorder where part of your treatment is to have your animal with you all the time (like the Parrot with the OCD I mentioned earlier in this thread), you can't sail HAL. That's ok though, you can sail Cunard and Carnival!

 

But, with the Parrot, you can't leave the ship, because you can't import a bird into foreign countries, but, hey, at least it got you out of the house!

 

I rememeber standing in line at Disney World next to a stroller once, and in the stroller was a Capuchin. The owner had epilepsy, and the monkey was trained to do something(s), I can't remember what. But it was just so weird looking into a baby carried and seeing a monkey in a dress. Although, not so weird, since it was Disney World.

[oldengine]

For cat lovers, this is the ultimate!

 

[heathriel]

Also, while I'm happy to discuss the merits of service animals, their training, the laws, and even how mine has been trained, I'm sure people can understand that I don't wish to discuss my own disability in an anonymous public forum. I have discussed it in my roll call, and I will talk about it to people I meet in person (if they seem to be sincere in their interest), but there are laws in place to protect privacy of medical history.

 

A registered nurse should be aware of HIPAA, at the very least. Although, some of the ones I've worked with were too busy gossiping about their patients to care.

[serendipity1499]

Heatheriel...I apologize if I've given out the wrong info on the ADA regulations..I had no idea that HAL would require a great deal of documentation as here in the U.S. no business, or condo association etc. is permitted to ask for documentation other than to inquire if it's a service animal & is it needed for a disability..

So many people do not fully understand the ADA regulations..Only reason I know a little about them is that we have three Service Dogs who also work as Pet Therapy dogs..I've heard about monkey's but never realized that Cat's could also be trained Service Animals...This thread has been a learning experience for me too....

Hope you were able to work out, not taking Morgan with you, when you are dining..There would be no problem having him under our table if you decide to change your cruise..LOL

Would have loved to meet you & Morgan..We're booked on the "Statendam" from Fort Lauderdale to San Diego thru the Canal on Nov. 13..

 

Wishing you calm seas & hope you, your DH & Morgan have a wonderful cruise..

 

Cheers...:)Betty

[Nakantia]

I recently had to do some research on service animals and found out that not only cats had entered that realm but so have pigs and miniature horses. Since proof of the necessity of a service animal is pretty vague, some people can abuse the rules. Take a peek at the pig story:

 

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0UBT/is_11_15/ai_71627521/?tag=content;col1

 

 

As for Bengals, I've had mine since she was a kitten and had none of the problems listed. She is incredibly smart (makes my other cats look downright stupid), but I'd be terrified to take her on a cruise for fear that she would go overboard. Bengals do well on leashes but they can't be trained as a service dog can to "stay put" -- they have the same curiosity as any other cat, and they really like high places. I'd be afraid that the cat would escape and disappear.

 

My Circe:

 

 

[Milaandra]

for cat lovers, this is the ultimate!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbxxbsoofr4

 

 

rofl!!! :d

[pipedreams62]

[Iowa-Cruiser]

I agree with heathriel...the size varies.. And that they are very vocal cats. The cat she replaced was a Siamese which was also vocal. But the Bengal noises are more unique and I dare say less obnoxious than the other cat was? Our female is small (I figure at two years she has reached full growth?)

, but even at the breeders facility, I saw none that were really larger than a large domestic breed. They are very long and sleek with a very soft coat.

 

She does recognize some words...and If I call in dinner to be delivered, she somehow knows the difference between that and speaking to a friend on the phone. She will immediately go wait by the front door until the delivery is here.

 

Not to hijack this thread - it is a very interesting discussion on serivce animals - but...

I had never heard of this breed before this thread, so I Googled. I thought these were some of the prettiest cats I have ever seen. I made the mistake of showing pics to my DW, she loved them and wanted to know how far we had to go to get one. If I had only said something like "California" that would have been the end of it. But no, being the honest man I am, I said I had noticed an ad by a breeder in the local paper. In about 30 sec her cell phone was thrust into my hand and she was demanding I call. Needless to say - less than 24 hours after that call - we are now the proud owners of a marbled Bengal (it is hard to tell right now, but he should be a silver - the breeder originally registered him as a brown but said he is showing more silver now), just over 3 months old. He (now known as Gandalf) is a very lovable and snuggly kitten, who likes to play "attack the toes" at 1 AM. Our kids adore him.

Here is Gandalf on the breeder's web site:

http://www.sumatrabengals.com/page/page/5919158.htm

Thank you to the Bengal owners here who told all of us about this very interesting breed.

[Mpowered]

I hope I won't be accused of highjacking a thread. :-) This thread reminds me of something that happened on the Zuiderdam last July. Hubby and I had just walked a mile on the promenade deck. We were about to re-enter the ship when we realized there was a commotion nearby. And then we see a youngish man walking two poodles! I can't remember the size of the dogs now, but I think one was a standard poodle and one was much smaller. They had apparently seen the hairdresser recently, and they were decked out (no pun intended) in bows and nail polish. It was so odd to see someone walking poodles on a ship! Sometimes I still wonder what those dogs were doing on the Zuiderdam. I know that the captain's wife was onboard, so I wonder if perhaps they were her dogs.

 

Joan

[heathriel]

That's great! These are very special cats.

 

And when Gandalf's mouth gets a little bigger, get him some of these, and he'll be your best friend forever (plus, he'll have something else to bite besides your toes) :)

 

http://www.petco.com/product/101378/CFA-Active-Cat-Sparkle-Balls-with-Rattle.aspx