Boris Branham was born on January 1, 2018 in Moore, Oklahoma. Named after the actor Boris Karloff of Son of Frankenstein fame, Boris Branham came into the world in a litter of (at least) four other kittens and distinguished himself immediately with an extra toe on each front paw.

“We almost didn’t get Boris,” said Sue Branham, Boris’ mom. “Somebody had picked him and then they changed their mind so [the breeder] asked if we wanted the one that was polydactyl. So we ended up with him.”

He and his brother, Bela (named after actor Bela Lugosi), were 4 months old when they were adopted. When Sue, who wanted to volunteer in her free time after retiring in 2017 from working as a customer service representative, expressed an interest in training them to be service animals, the breeder told her that Bela wouldn’t do it, but Boris would. 

“Bela’s more quiet and he doesn’t want to go outside. It’s just a different personality,” Sue said. “Most cats won’t do this. They don’t like being out around new people and the attention. He loves it. If he doesn’t get to go out, he’s not happy. I originally wanted to do twice a week, but he’s just not happy unless he’s out more, so he usually has three visits a week.”

Boris sits at the back door and cries when he doesn’t get out to do his job enough.

“When we get home from visits, he gets a treat for working and then he’ll sit at the back door because he’s ready to go back out. He’ll sit there for like an hour and just…cry,” Sue said. 

His favorite snack is the line of Temptation puree treats in the tube, particularly chicken-flavored ones. He also really loves canned food.

Pet peeves? He absolutely hates the wind blowing in his ears. He also despises elevators. 

Aside from Bela, Boris has two other siblings, a gray domestic shorthaired cat named Basil Rathbone and a yellow, Domestic Medium Haired cat named Skipper. Both are rescues. Boris gets along well with his siblings and is very laid back. He tries to stay out of the way of the youngest cat, who runs the house. 

A typical day in the life of Boris proceeds as follows: after breakfast, Boris spends the morning on a screened-in deck monitoring squirrels and any other wildlife wandering around the yard.

“Once the yard is deemed under control, a long nap is warranted and usually lasts several hours,” said Sue. 

During the day, he often goes to one of five assisted living facilities in the area or Meyer Library to provide therapeutic services, all jobs Sue has sought out because of articles she read about the benefits of animal therapy. When not working, Boris likes to knock things off the counter and play in water bowls, thus necessitating the family’s use of automated fountains. A bowl of water is kept in the bathroom in the tub so Boris can play in the water without wetting floors.

Before dinner, he typically takes another shift on the deck. In the evenings, he usually plays with feather toys. Often, he curls up on the couch beside Sue for a pre-nighttime nap. 

“Right before bed, all the cats get treats, then he settles in and sleeps next to my husband,” Sue shared.

All in all, it seems to be a pretty good life. Of course, he has earned it. Boris began his therapy career in Northwest Arkansas. Before moving to Springfield, he lived with his family in Bella Vista, Arkansas, where he began a year-long certification process through a program called Love on a Leash after getting the approval from his veterinarian.

During the program, he did training visits with other members of the chapter.

“Boris was the only cat,” Sue said. “All other pets were dogs.”

His certification consisted in the completion of 10 supervised visits in the space of 12 months. He did most of his training at the veterans home in Fayetteville, which was a great place for him to learn and gain confidence. He was officially certified in February 2022 and has his certification renewed annually.

Boris’ official title is “therapy cat” and he takes the job very seriously. His next scheduled shift at Meyer Library is on Thursday, April 9, 2026. If you don’t stop by, he will cry.