Saint Francis University welcomes shelter cats to the library

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Meet Bones and Booth: Saint Francis University's newest recruits are two precocious shelter cats who have set up residence in a specially outfitted "cat room" in the university's library. Here, they will learn socialization skills to get ready for adoption into a forever home.

Dr. Shlomit Flaisher-Grinberg, Associate Professor of Psychology, introduced the new residents in a small unveiling event on Oct. 9. The student Psychology Club members and her new caregiving "Cat Team" were on hand. Ms. Lisa Boland, the Director of the Huntingdon County Humane Society and Misti Smith, SFU Library Director, also celebrated the latest arrivals.

"To the best of our knowledge, no other university in the U.S. has a library-based cat room, which houses shelter cats," Dr. Flaisher-Grinberg shared with the guests. "Our program started with the notion that animal shelters can be overwhelmed with the number of animals that annually enter their gates, animals that have been neglected, abandoned, abused, and betrayed, and who desperately need socialization, companionship, and training.

Three million of these animals annually are cats. In creating the library cats residence program, we wanted to relieve some of the pressure placed on animal shelters by creating a campus-based safe haven for shelter cats. We wanted to improve the lives of shelter cats and their adoption outcomes, and we wanted to enrich the life of our students by integrating cats into their study and leisure space."

Bones and Booth arrived on campus Monday.

Bones is an all-white, one-year-old female cat who adjusted very quickly. "She is sure that the whole room was made just for her, which she is right:" Dr. Flaisher-Grinberg joked. "She is very explorative, but she's also a little bit hesitant and a little gentler".

Booth is a two-year-old, almost all-black male feline. "He loves petting, but he is still adjusting," she shared. "It was only today that he actually came out of his cat tree to eat and play. He spent almost two days in his cat tree, so we're giving him space."

She said that for the next few weeks, you'll be able to see them and interact with them through the glass. Later in the semester, she plans to create opportunities to meet and interact with them, and at the end of the semester, they will be available for adoption in the spring. In the future, she hopes the room will host cats from her Psych 303 "Learning" course.

Shelter Flash Facts

• Did you know that two psychology courses at SFU allow students to train shelter animals (cats and dogs), improve their behavioral repertoire, and help them find their forever homes?
• Students in the PSYC 303 "Learning" course train shelter cats as part of the curriculum. Since 2023, SFU students have socialized, trained, and prepared 12 cats for adoption.
• Students in the PSYC 420 "Canine Learning & Behavior" course train shelter dogs as part of the curriculum. Since 2016, SFU students socialized, trained, and prepared 40 dogs for adoption.

Students at Saint Francis University interested in animal behavioral studies can major in B.S. in Psychological Sciences or minor in Animal Assisted Health and Education.