Library cat ready to ‘party like Big Footsie’
SUSAN LOESCH
CATS IN THE STACKS
The Christmas trees are up and we’ve finally answered the question, “To party or not to party?”
Every year I decorate trees in the library with my collection of cat ornaments. The students especially love seeing the ornaments for our library cats. Each one over the years has accumulated several personalized ones, with their names or pictures on them.
As my fourth graders were standing on chairs inspecting a tree, one noticed, “There aren’t any black cats here. Where are they?”
I showed him my “Big Footsie tree” which I decorated with black cats, Footsie’s personalized ornaments and angel cats. The kids liked that idea.
I have stockings hung for Alex, Piper and Snuggle Bunny, which already have gifts in them.
I have stockings hung for our past library cats also, and someone asked, “Why doesn’t Big Footsie’s stocking have any presents in it?”
After the reply that it was because he wasn’t with us any more, the student said to me, “Oh, yeah, he is in a better place now, isnt’ he?”
Every year Footsie has hosted a big all-school party called Big Footsie’s Library Cat Christmas. It is always so much fun, and the students start asking when it will be held soon after the school year begins.
I wasn’t sure I could do it this year. I wasn’t sure if anyone would want me to do it, but they do, so party we will, on Dec. 9.
I couldn’t quite bring myself to call it Alex’s Library Cat Christmas yet, so it will be A Library Cat Christmas.
We will all remember how Footsie enjoyed these parties. He especially loved inspecting the refreshments up close, opening any package whether his or not and redecorating, usually by knocking the trees over!
Piper, our original library cat, who is now retired, came for a visit this week.
Hopefully that will make his party visit a little easier.
He received visitors in his usual spot – the bathroom sink!
For some reason he feels safer there.
Snuggle Bunny also came this week for a visit, but she is as comfortable at school as she is at home.
Both will be here Wednesday with Alex and we will have a great time as we “party like Big Footsie!”
Susan Loesch has been the librarian at the Arkansas School for the Blind for 35 years and is on the board of Feline Rescue and Rehome. She started the library cat program about 10 years ago after much animal therapy research.
I attended the Library Cat Christmas Party and it was a huge success. I think we all were remembering Big Footsie at parties past, and were all feeling his absence at this first party since his passing, but Alex and Piper and SnuggleBunny were doing their best to fill in for him, and they helped us all get into the Christmas spirit. SnuggleBunny is aptly named, for she snuggles with anyone who picks her up–and she was getting a lot of that! Alex was his crowd-pleasing self, and Piper–well, Piper was in the bathroom!
Merry Christmas, Library Cats; Merry Christmas, Big Footsie, wherever you may be; and God bless us every one!