KAPS kitten comforts kids

Joining celebrities like Bradley Cooper, Selena Gomez and Ryan Gosling, kids at the Katherine Anne Porter School have their very own Emotional Support Animal in the form of Mistii, a 12-weekold black and gray tabby kitten.

Owned and trained by Sylvia Kohlhoff, the former feral kitten lends her special brand of support to riders on Kohlhoff’s bus as she picks up students for the summer session. She joins the ranks of dogs, rabbits, birds, guinea pigs, rats, miniature pigs, llamas, alpacas, horses, donkey and mini horses who assist humans with anxiety, depression and other mental and emotional concerns.

Officially named Silver Mist, the diminutive tabby rides along in her own backpack carrier and is training to become a certified Emotional Support Animal and, with additional preparation, will become a Certified Therapy Kitten, said Kohlhoff, while driving her route.

“Mistii knows the students on the 90-minute bus ride and has her favorites,” she added.

Secured by a leash, Mistii catnaps between stops by jumping into her carrier.

Kohlhoff said she found the feral kitten when she was two weeks old as she struggled to free her paw from a vice formed by the wall of a pole barn and a wooden palette. After freeing her, Kohlhoff bottle fed the kitten every two hours until she matured enough to eat solid food. With two puppy siblings at home, Mistii has learned to walk on a leash and ring a bell when she wants to go outside.

While she has not barked yet, she performs her best work when a student, a teacher and perhaps a bus driver are having a tough day.

“She provides distraction,” Kohlhoff explained, “with playful interaction that’s followed by plenty of purring.” Her technique seems to melt anxiety-provoking concerns until calm is restored.

Her therapy extends to students inside the school where at least one teacher hands out Kitty Passes to pupils who want a little time with Mistii. According to Kohlhoff, some of the kids have never held a kitten before.

Besides her current duties as a ride-along ESA-intraining, Kohlhoff said, “She charms people at the grocery store and at Ace Hardware, where her presence is requested at least once weekly.”