Emotional Therapy for a Cat? This 11-Year-Old Has It Covered

Who offers emotional support to a cat, and why? Meet Amit Tzarikar, an 11-year-old from Holon, whose name made headlines for just this reason. Tzarikar, a student at "Yachad" school in the city, decided to become the emotional therapist for a particularly irritable and aggressive cat roaming her schoolyard and scratching students.

You might be surprised to learn that there is a subfield within the therapeutic world capable of diagnosing behavioral problems not just in humans but also in animals. After completing a course in "Cat Diagnosis," Tzarikar knew who would be her first patient. She took the cat, named Nisim, as a personal project to address behavioral issues. "In therapy with Nisim the cat, we work on his sense of security. If he feels safe, gets his food at a set time, receives affection and has enough rest - he feels comfortable and doesn't need to attack," explains Tzarikar in an interview with "MyNet Holon."

As part of her therapy, Tzarikar also nurtures the cat physically, first ensuring that all fleas were removed from his body. Simultaneously, "I asked the children at the school to give him space during his rest hours, because it's known that a cat that's not disturbed is more relaxed. He has his own mattress and receives plenty of love."

And what does she want to do when she grows up? The answer is as clear as day to her: "I've decided to study cat behavior counseling because I see that many people don’t understand animals the way I do. It's like sometimes other people don't understand me. I thought that this way I could help people understand the world of cats better, and maybe also understand kids like me," she concludes.