Serious illness is one of the most physically and emotionally challenging experiences an individual can go through. As a result, many sick people will resort to almost any methods to alleviate some of the pain. In recent years, this has allowed for the surge in popularity of therapy animals, who supposedly bring comfort through their calming presence. These have ranged from the obvious (dogs) to the decidedly unconventional ( parrots and even alligators ). If there's one thing that they tend to…