Wayside Waifs animal rescue wants students to read to their cats
By Alan Shope
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KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KMBC) — Wayside Waifs is always looking to find cats a forever home.
But sometimes, it can take a shelter cat a while to warm up to humans. That’s why the animal rescue is trying something to relax them a bit.
“I try to put on a soft voice,” Wyandotte High School sophomore Juan Mota said.
Frisky feline Tabatha certainly didn’t seem to mind the extra effort.
“At first, her cat was pretty jumpy, but now she’s just lying there,” Mota said.
The sophomore is taking part in Wayside Waifs Read To Cats program.
Yes, you read that correctly.
It’s a simple idea that matches a Cat hoping to get adopted with a student looking to become a stronger reader.
“This just shows them that people are kind people are good,” Wayside Waifs Humane Educator, Wayside Waifs Amy Putman said.
Wayside says it also helps build reading and interest in reading for students.
“A lot of times, students will be in a class, and they’ll say a word wrong, and they get left out. It’s a freedom here that they don’t get judged by the cats,” Casey Waugh with Wayside Waifs said.
The organization says it’s a program they do several times a week, having school kids come out and read to the cats.
They have Girl Scout troops come to read and even several adult groups.
Putman says that volunteers, especially teenagers, are surprised when the cats actually curl up and listen to them as they read.
“If they get used to humans a lot more, then they’re going to want to play with people more,” Wyandotte Student Martin Mora said.
Mota said there’s much less pressure reading to a cat than in a classroom full of kids.
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