SUSAN LOESCH

A new week, and it’s back to work for Shadow, head library cat at Arkansas School for the Blind.

The excitement hasn’t worn off for either the kids or Shadow. He is, however, settling back into the job, and there are signs that he already feels like it is his library.

One of the things he does first every morning is knock one of Big Footsie’s photos down the book return. He then makes sure my computer is working. That involves standing on the keyboard and making sure he gets just the right “beep, beep,  beep.” Sometimes it takes lying on the keyboard to be sure.
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SUSAN LOESCH

Cold and clear with temperatures in the 50s. A typical Arkansas late winter day. Inside the Arkansas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, however, there was no cold and nothing typical about the day!

This was the first day since last May that we had cats finally back in our library stacks. The school was abuzz with excitement.

Students had known before spring break that Shadow would be at school this week, and his visit was happily anticipated by everyone from first grade through 12th. (more…)

SUSAN LOESCH

Faith and begorrah, St. Patrick’s Day has come again! Time for the wearin’ of the green, whether you have two legs or four.

After reading that there would be a parade at Happy Hour in the Heights, Mr. O’Shadow suggested we catify the celebration. His plans were big: He’d be met by Feline Rescue and Rehome PR Kitty Bob
and his mom, Ms. Moira, and handsome orange tabby, Pumpkin, and his parents, Mr. Bob and Ms. Lanita.

We’d all join the parade and declare St. Patrick’s Day to now be renamed St. Catrick’s Day. It sounded like a good plan to us humans. The first sign that things might not go exactly as expected came when Bob, usually ready for a walk whenever he gets the chance, decided upon arrival that he didn’t want to participate. (more…)