By David N. Krough, TJJD Communications
The girls in the CATS (Creating Attachment Through Safety) program at McLennan County State Juvenile Correctional Facility are getting some real-life lessons in caring for others thanks to two feline friends.
Letty and Mishi were brought in earlier this year as part of the CATS program with help from PASS (Providing Alternatives to Shelter Surrender) and Dallas Pets Alive, who coordinate with local animal shelters.
The goal is to not only give the animals a good temporary home while awaiting adoption, but to help the youth learn better skills in patience, cooperation, problem-solving and critical thinking. Case workers say this can help the girls refine those skills in their interactions with other people.
“They give me emotional support,” youth D.F. said. “I battle with depression bad, so the cats are helping me cope especially when I am in the Mart facility,”
Letty and Mishi have their own room set up in the dorm, complete with bedding, food and water, litter boxes and plenty of cat toys and climbing areas.
The dorm is overseen by a team including an administrator, JCO leaders, mental health staff and case workers who help determine which youth are a good fit for the program.
The cats get let out in the mornings after breakfast and morning duties and chores are taken care of and stay out on the pod with the girls until lunchtime and classes. After school, recreation time and dinner the cats are usually let out again before bedtime.
“When … the first cats arrived, we began to learn responsibilities,” S.S. said. “By working together as a pod, we participate in daily chores and activities involving the cats.” “It gives me responsibility that I need in order to get ready to reenter my community.”
The girls clean the cat’s room daily and throughout the day, if need be and always make sure that the two have food and water.
The youth in the CATS program are also able to take a course in small animal management as a part of their education curriculum. The cats themselves also benefit from their time with the youth, as it helps them become more sociable and thus more adoptable.
“I … have grown a bond with the cats because I am with them twice a week for DBT group,” Volunteer Services Coordinator Jennifer Moore said. “They have changed so much since they first got here because of the socialization and love that they receive from the girls and the staff.”
The cats are scheduled to be at Mart on a roughly three-month basis, then they are returned to their owners or adopted out in the community.
