Reading aloud good for cats and children
CONNOQUENESSING TWP — Kristi Carrico, of Cranberry Township, was looking for volunteer opportunities she and her children could help out with when she found a program where children could read to cats at the Butler County Humane Society.
The opportunity was perfect for Carrico and her children, 10-year-old Kendall and 8-year-old Reagan, who have two cats of their own at home.
“Anything we can find involving cats they want to do,” Carrico said Sunday, July 9.
Ruth Leicht, a member of the humane society’s board of directors, said she helped kick-start the Shelter Buddies Reading Program in fall 2021. The idea for the program was to create an initiative that would benefit cats and children.
“The main goal is socializing the cats, but it also encourages reading for the kids,” the former librarian said. “It’s good for the kids; it gives them a purpose to read and talk to the cats.”
Kendall read a book Sunday she brought from home to two kittens, Sputnik and Barb. The kittens roamed around the room and occasionally wandered up to the children for affection as Kendall read from “How to Land on Your Feet: Life Lessons from My Cat” to them.
The two children were smiling throughout the session, which is usually what Leicht notices as she oversees the reading. She said no one has told her they have had a bad experience, which is evident by the number of people who come back every other Sunday to do the reading.
“It has fallen off a little in the summer because people have other things to do, but we have someone come every time,” Leicht said. “In May, we had full days of readers.”
Leicht also said the humane society staff helps her choose the cats that could use more socialization. Kittens, in particular, often benefit from interactions with people.
“You need to socialize the kittens up to seven weeks, otherwise, it becomes harder to get them to adapt,” Leicht said. “The socialization helps them get adopted in the end.”
Leicht said she is unsure if reading to cats has directly led to any adoptions, but the Shelter Buddies Reading Program also helps get people become acquainted with the humane society.
She recalled a time when a child in a wheelchair came to read to cats, which was a good experience for everyone.
“At the end, the boy told his mom, ‘This was the best day of my life,’” Leicht said.
Kendall and Reagan said they were enjoying their cat company Sunday, and Carrico said it might become a regular activity for the family.
“We want to do it again,” Carrico said.
The Shelter Buddies Reading Program takes place two Sundays a month from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the humane society, 1015 Evans City Road in Connoquenessing Township. It is meant for children in grades one to eight, and people can call the shelter at 724-789-1150 to schedule a reading appointment.
