SUSAN LOESCH
CATS IN THE STACKS

In the middle of a story hour my work-study student, Mary, came to tell me she couldn’t find Alex. I suggested she look on a table in my office — his favorite spot lately. Before long, our new first grader asked why Alex was on a table. I said that he just liked it there!

After the story, the whole class moved to a table in the Reading Room.  Most of the students had known Big Footsie but none had met Alex yet. Mary went in my office and brought him out for a visit.

“Oh,” said my new student. “Alex is a cat! I thought he was a boy!”

That explains why he wondered about Alex being on the table!

As the students began to pet Alex, one asked me, “Does he run on batteries?”

I was a little puzzled.

“I have lots of toys that run on batteries.”

“Well, no,” I said. “Alex doesn’t run on batteries.  He runs on love and cat food and petting!”

We all laughed, and Alex got lots of good petting.