The cat’s meow: feline reading program to start at NESPCA

By Susan McNeil

A fair number of friendless felines and children in need of brushing up on their reading skills has led to a new program at the NESPCA in Melfort.

Kennel manager Kate Jacobs said that during the pandemic restrictions, they could not have volunteers in so a lot of the animals weren’t socialized properly.

“A lot of the teachers had told us that they were finding that kids who missed a good chunk of the school year because of COVID were struggling with reading,” Jacobs said.

They decided to serve two needs so starting April 14 children between the ages of eight and 11 can spend an hour cuddling a cat and brushing up on their reading skills.

“Why not get these kids in here, they can hang out with the cats – they don’t judge – they can listen quietly and the cats need socializing as well,” she said.

Some of the animals have been traumatized in the past so children younger than eight are not ideal because cats don’t like sudden movements or too much noise.

It’s best to have a reader that can be calm, Jacobs explained.

The program can take up to six children but shelter staff are willing to expand the days if the need is there.

With several available rooms, one or two children with a few cats will be in a room reading quietly but the cats can also move around.

“The cat can go to whichever child they feel comfortable with and sit with them, or the child can pick a cat they really like,” said Jacobs.

When they announced the program, they got a lot of response from adults, so they decided to start a reading program for grownups and an arts and crafts time in the future.

Along with boosting reading skills and the sociability of the animals, the SPCA gets to raise some money through programming.