KALONA & WELLMAN

“I would say that human interaction is very important, but animals are unique in that they have absolutely no judgment,” Henry Yoder says. “The unconditional love of an animal is something that can’t be replicated.”

Henry, a Mid-Prairie High School senior, visits elder care and nursing facilities about once a month to spread joy and knowledge through his animals and his stories.  Together with his dad, Trent Yoder, he brings smiles to the faces of residents of Pleasantview in Kalona and Parkview Manor in Wellman. 

The events they host feature Henry and his posse of cats and chickens. He is well-versed in cat knowledge because of his many years raising, catering to, and learning about them.

The pair continues to make these stops, as both residents and Henry alike have too much fun.

“It always makes my day because you see [the residents’] eyes light up as soon as they see [the animals],” Henry said. “Maybe they were having a rough day and seeing a cat come in made them happy. Just knowing I helped someone is a good feeling.”

Henry has held a deep love for cats ever since he was young.

“[We’ve] always had animals. We’ve always had two cats, chickens, and then I’d go over to our neighbors every day and they’d have cows, goats, [and more],” Henry said. “I was constantly around animals. I think that went into [me] kind of understanding them. I love them.”

He recalls a time when his younger sister pulled on the family cat’s tail and yet the cat remained calm. It was a pivotal moment for the youngster.

“That really solidified my love of animals and cats. If they can show that much compassion to humans, I should return that, and I try to every day,” Henry said.

Henry’s first exposure to senior living facilities came when his father held a play for residents. This helped Henry decide how he would return that compassion.

“I am a very proud papa. The experience of being there with my son is fantastic,” Trent Yoder said. “We are doing a good thing for these residents, but it’s also a good thing for our relationship. It’s also very satisfying to watch [how] Henry interacts with the residents, because he is very patient, well-spoken and compassionate. I’m very proud of that.”

Henry’s favorite aspect of visiting seniors is creating a dialogue. He encourages residents to share their own animal-related stories.

“I think it’s just a way to help them remember the happier memories they’ve had during their lives,” Henry said. “Everyone can remember when they’ve had some interaction with an animal, so it’s something that everyone can relate to. It gives them an outlet that normally they wouldn’t have because they don’t see animals every day in a nursing home.”

Each event is another opportunity for Henry to learn.

“It just helps you to be a lot more patient with people because a lot of them [don’t have] good hearing,” Henry said. “[One time], we had someone who was blind [and] we held up the kitten to her face and she just she loved that, she had a giant smile on her face.”

Henry works for Nancy Petersen, a Persian Cat breeder in Kalona. Because of this, he can take Cotton, the Persian Cat, to these events. This is something Henry enjoys doing because he can teach the residents about show-quality cats. Henry remarked that residents are always astonished at the cost; a Persian show-quality cat can cost roughly $5,000, a pretty penny indeed.

When Henry is not at a nursing home spreading joy, he is likely at home fostering kittens, as he does every summer.

To foster kittens, Henry must remain in contact with local farmers. Feral cat populations continue to rise, including on farmland.

“I don’t blame the farmers, but [the cats] don’t have the greatest lives.  Because they’re on the farm, a lot of them will get eaten, hit by a car or whatnot,” Henry said. “I just get them healthy, clean, give them a tick/flea bath and then most of the time, within a week, a kitten will just become the friendliest thing ever. It doesn’t matter if it’s feral, they’ll become friendly.”

After showing the kittens love and compassion, Henry eventually finds them a forever-home using apps like Craigslist. Most are re-homed through community connections.

Each cat-filled summer is a joy for Henry despite him being scratched up like a wooden post. He doesn’t mind, stating, “It’s part of the job.”

In fact, spending time with the kittens each summer is likely Henry’s favorite time of the year.

“Kittens and cats are two completely different beasts. Don’t get me wrong, I love both of our cats, but being around kittens, [an animal] that is always happy and always playing -- seeing something grow that quickly, even though I only have them two, three weeks tops -- it’s a great, positive [experience],” Henry said. “If you’re having a bad day, a kitten is a surefire way to make it a lot better.”

It would not take a good fortune teller to foresee Henry’s career path as a veterinarian. It is the obvious conclusion. And if that fortune were told, Henry would think it apt as he’s always wanted to be a veterinarian. He even job shadowed veterinarians when he was younger.

Spending each summer with the cats and doing shows at nursing homes has helped him gain ample experience.

Henry’s next course of action is college. He applied and was accepted into Iowa State University. He will begin college life in the Fall of 2024. Competition to become a veterinarian is tough, however. While it’s an eight-year gauntlet, Henry is excited to start the process.

Whatever is in Henry’s future, it is sure to include cats.