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Kids reading to shelter cats: it's a win-win-win situation. The cats
get affection, attention and socialization. The kids learn about
volunteering and doing good deeds. The shelter earns rave reviews and
positive word-of-mouth from the children and adults who participate in
the program.
How It Works
- Kids from 6 to 11 years old read to cats in Austin Humane's cat habitat rooms (each child must be accompanied by an adult)
- One child, one adult and one cat per room
- The child reads to the cat for 20 minutes
- Kids and adults must go through a brief, one-time orientation
to hear program rules and learn a bit about cat body language (stuffed
animals are used)
What You'll Need
What You'll Want to Know
- Advertise through your website, posters at public libraries, and other venues to draw in participants.
- This is a great opportunity for kids who are too young to officially volunteer to get in there and help.
- The experience of reading to a cat might be an incentive to adopt that feline!
- Choose the participating cats wisely. Any cat can benefit from
the program, but make sure recent arrivals have time to decompress and
de-stress.
- Austin Humane does this program twice a week one day when the shelter is open and one day when it's closed.
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