SUSAN LOESCH

Today in houses of worship all over the country animals joined their owners as the day’s services recognized St. Francis by holding a Blessing of the Animals. For the occasion, we had a beautiful fall Sunday, two pet carriers, two harnesses and leashes, two bandanas and…ONE cat!

My plan was for Barney and Shadow to go with me to Little Rock’s Unitarian Universalist Church where the congregation was making this day a benefit for FuRR (Feline Rescue and Rehome) and the Humane Society of Pulaski County.

I guess Barney had other plans for the day; he was nowhere to be found, even when I offered cat treats and opened a can of Fancy Feast as a bribe for his appearance. (more…)

SUSAN LOESCH

Can you believe it is almost time for school to start? That means it’s time for a back-to-school visit to the doctor for the School for the Blind Library Cat staff, which requires making a trip to Pinnacle Valley Animal Hospital to see their vet, Dr. Cole Bierbaum.

Wouldn’t you know that we would end up picking the hottest week of the year for our trip — or rather trips. Getting all these guys checked out is way too much for one visit, so we did it Noah’s Ark style — two-by-two. Barney and Tank went the first day and Shadow and Hexie the second.

Dress was casual — it was way too hot for bandanas, and only Shadow and Tank wore collars. We seem to have had an epidemic of lost-collar-disease this summer, but that is a whole ‘nother story. (more…)

SUSAN LOESCH

CATS IN THE STACKS

Sometimes it is good to sit back and just listen to what my students have to say. Markissha was one of my sixth graders this year, but she and I go back a long way, to when she was a little kindergartner. She is often quiet, but when she speaks she has a lot to say.

It is Markissha who designed the Accelerated Reader t-shirt last year, the one with the caption “Big Footsie says, ‘AR is Purrr-fect!’” And it was Markissha who reminded us all many times this year, when we had one of the new library cats here, “But, remember, we can’t ever replace Big Footsie.”

It is Markissha who is providing our Cats in the Stacks today. Her class created a Middle School Newspaper, and this was her article. (more…)