Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Guido the Italian Kitty is a Therapy Cat Extraordinaire!

By Julia Williams

In the last few years, I’ve come across a lot of really cool cats who are making this world a better place. I’ve profiled many of them here, including two wonderful therapy cats, Tabitha and Henry. It still blows my mind that any cat has the temperament to become certified for therapy work, but I’m just so proud of those who do. Today I am delighted to introduce you to another therapy cat extraordinaire – Guido the Italian Kitty. This handsome brown tabby is so incredibly PURRsonable that I’m positive he could charm the pants off of even the most anti-cat curmudgeon. The spunky 4-year old feline must also have an Energizer Bunny battery implant, because he does more in a typical week than most cats do their entire lives!

Truly, Guido has to be the busiest Celebricat on the planet. When he’s not “on the job” visiting his special friends, Guido is busy writing his own newsletter (the Guido Gazette), posing for an award-winning pet photographer, competing on a TV game show for cats (and hanging with Chuck Woolery!), and getting featured on not one but TWO months of the Morris & Friends 2011 Cat Calendar. Guido the Italian Kitty is also very active on Catster.com, a.k.a. “The Facebook for Felines” where he's received multiple honors and won several fun contests. Whew!  

It’s a miracle that I got Guido to sit still long enough to answer a few questions, but I’m so glad I did. I hope you enjoy getting to know this witty kitty as much as I did.

What three words would you use to describe yourself? Envirocat, Catzowey, EyeTailYun

Tell me about your work in the Animal Assisted Therapy program. 3 yrs ago when I was inky dinky, I visited a furiend who was very ill. My momma thought that if she sees me, I might perk her up. Well, I did and it was fun, and I saw the senior infirmed lady get color back in her skin and smile again. I even convinced her tooza get out of bed and come to da breakfast table to have yogurt with me! So then momma enrolled me in San Francisco SPCA's "Animal Assisted Therapy" program where theyza tests me – hee hee hee, they stretches me out like a pizza dough! And theyza makes noises and stuff, just to see how I react. I surprised them cuz I just looked at them like, Whatcha doing? I passed the test and got my official AAT vest with my name “GUIDO” on it. Oh, I luvs my job and have been going to work for 3 years now at The ARC of San Francisco, where I mingles  and plays with da seniors whooza got Autism and Down Syndrome and other condishuns. But you know what? Theyza no different than me and I’m no different than them, cuz weeza all plays and communicates and theyza make me purr at my job. Itza high paying job getting all those purrs!

What is your most touching memory from your Therapy Cat work? I got abundacat speshule memories of being a therapy cat but probably da mostest giganticat event was when a client at The ARC saw my momma in a grocery store (without me). He duzn’t touch  peoples, heeza just does what he wantza do (like me) and he yelled out in the aisle “Guido – Guido”  (recognizing momma cuz sheeza brings me to The ARC) and he came up to momma and kissed her on the cheek! It was an incredulous moment cuz da ARC’s manager whooza with him says heeza never ever done that – thatza the gift that keeps on giving.

What kinds of things can kitties and cat loving hoomins learn by reading your Guido Gazette? Meowvalous question Signorina Julia! I always try to make purrsons smile, and weeza gotta remember dat life is short even if you got 9 lives and life is Catzowey and shouldn’t be catastrophic and having a hiss fit isn’t good. I’ma envirocat, so I cat chats about taking care of our Planet cuz itza our purrmanent home.

How many photo shoots have you done with Mark Rogers? Abundacat shoots, and I loves his giganticat lens. I met Mark at Pet Camp Cat Safari, the mostest incredible kitty hotel in San Franfuncisco, and I loves posing fur him.

Your Catster profile has a plaque that says Winner: Funny Face Category. What was this? Catster.com has da annual “Coolest Dog and Cat” contest. So my Staff entered me and my momma Baci (sheeza crossed The Bridge last April) so winning this foto contest was a tribute to my momma cat, whooza raised me, tolerated me and gave me my meowster manners. I thinks Baci is making a more funny face than me!

Who is your Best Friend? I dontza have one bestest furiend because I'ma meowster whooza blessed with a catzullion diverse furiends all over the Planet, on every Continent. Why have one bestet furiend when youza can have abundacat furiends!

Do you have any siblings? Shure, I got a little brofur! He’s Yolo from Yolo County SPCA – datsa where UC Davis is. Oh I luvs Yolo, and weeza wrestles every hour weeza not catnapping. Heeza 3 and I’ma almost 5.

What’s it like to be a bona fide “Celebricat” and have so many adoring fans? Life is purrfectly catzowey as a Celebricat, and I adore my fans and furiends cuz theyza all makes every day special. Fans and Furiends are my spice to life – like a good Italian meatball! One of my favorito things is to donate my pawsagraphed foto to fan’s auctions that are benefitting meowsters and pooches in need. Giving back to my ComMEWnity is what makes all my nine lives worth living.

Ciao & Meow! GUIDO the Italian Kitty

Read more articles by Julia Williams

20 comments:

  1. Wow, Guido how exciting for you and the people you visit! You are truly a very special kitty...I'm off to vote for you in the Bissell Contest.
    Keep up the good work!

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  2. What a cool kitty! Thanks for introducing us to Guido!

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  3. Guido, you're amazing! Celia, Thunder, Hammie, Little Jackie Jones and Maile

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  4. Guido!!! I is sos exciteds to reads dis! I is lucky enoughs to counts yous as one of mai bestest buddies, but alsos I think you is a hero! GO BISSELL!!! Votes for Guido dis week!!! Just search out his handsumness in da Most Valuable Pet (MVP) contest!!! *headbonks*

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  5. Good thing you are a calm tomcat, Guido. My orange stripie purrself u'd be in a bit of a purranic. Good for you, Buddy, and the folks :) signed, The Platelicker

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  6. We did not know cats could be therapy pets too - how cool. Mom would love to have one of us become a therapy pet too.

    Woos ~ Phantom, Thunder, and Ciara

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  7. WE also think those kitties that do the therapy are really special. We are just amazed by them. We didn't know about them either for a long time but then met a couple of them on the internet. Just like dogs, it takes a lot of work to get them used to doing all that and meeting strangers. Great post.

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  8. Hummmmm I'm gonna have to have my mom talk to the OP Pack about the Therapy Cat she had... when she taught Multiple-Handicapped elem. students. Ohio State Univ. even Filmed him in action with one student who had.. Major Issues.. and reactions... that the Cat could PREDICT!!!

    Guido... You are TRULY AMAZING!!!! THANKS fur telling us all about yourself!!!

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  9. Guido, you are an inspiration to so many. You show how important it is that we do 'something' It doesnt matter what it is we do, we all have gifts we can tap into to share with others and so by focussing on what we can do rather than what we cant, we help make this world a better place. Love you buddy

    Myron xx

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  10. You sure is a kewl cat Guido,mew is new to da FB and I am so glad we is furiends now!!!!!!!!

    HEADBUTTS
    Herbie

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  11. Very impressive resume, Guido! You are one very busy guy!

    Pat
    www.critteralley.blogspot.com

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  12. Therapy cats are soo cool. The do important work.

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  13. Guido you do some wonderful and meaningful work and it is my pleasure to meet you!!!

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  14. Oh, Julia, Guido is just wonderful! We think all therapy furries are just the best things in the world for humans, and sometimes for even other furries. We saw you'd been by our place and we wanted to thank you SO much for being so extra sweet in leaving us a note :D
    You are doing such good work letting people know about all the fabulous things we are and do. Thank you for that. We are sending nose licks and head bonks to you from us :)

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  15. Yew bees sew awesum, Guido :) Ma an I bees bless tew no yew an yor Mommy! Mush Lubs,
    Margo

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  16. I'm late in commenting, but this is a great interview, Guido! You make me purroud to be your furiend.

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  17. "It still blows my mind that any cat has the temperament to become certified for therapy work"
    Big Bad Baby Twinkle is so SHOKKT she drops a whole pawful of Kat Fud (OMC -- It's Cee Cee's Kat food too!!) Da Big Wun sez "Mamma Mia -- Blows-a You Mind? Eh!!! Cats gott-a lots-a talent to do dat kind-a stuff-a too! We've just been, Un-Ack!-Sploited!!"
    * * Goes back to reading the Wall Street Journal before Cee Cee gets to it * *

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  18. Sweet Cee Cee Tortie gives her face an extra lick, smooothes her eybrows (cats have eyebrows?), purrs and smiles sweetly at the screen
    "Oh, HANSUM Guido, Da Mi un Bacio, Micio Bello!!!"
    Then Cee Cee wiggul-wiggulz back to her foodie bowl -- uh oh...

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