Pets can be great therapists in hospice It is Sister Judy Seefeld, an Adrian Dominican Catholic nun, who has arranged transportation, food and lodging for Jello through the years and originally lined up her therapy work. From the time Sister Judy first got to know Jello, she noticed that she was especially friendly and gentle. Sister Judy thought she should be sharing her with other people, somehow. In 1996 she was at the Hospice to return some materials she was using in her classroom, where a student had a brain tumor that would eventually claim her life. Sister Judy mentioned to one of the hospice administrative staff that she had a cat and would like to do something to share her with people who would appreciate her special loving qualities. The Hospice administrator responded, We have a pet program here that was popular, but the participant numbers have dwindled. If you think Jello would be a good therapy cat, bring her in so I can meet her. Sister Judys heart skipped a beat. This was the opportunity she had hoped for. Jello had an interview in short order, and eschewing all propriety, jumped up on the desk to meet her new boss. The administrator fell in love with Jello, who had all the glowing attributes that Sister Judy had described. There wasnt any hesitation about signing Jello up as a therapy cat. Sister Judy started to work on the paperwork required for Jello to be at Hospice regularly. She needed a physical to bring her vaccinations up to date and a letter from her veterinarian stating that she was free from disease.