This innovative cat rescue program facilitates the adoption of kittens in a workplace friendly setting. We love this idea!
Need therapy on the job, or a distraction from the stress of the day? One perk that is causing envy in other government offices is the Dona Ana County Office in Las Cruces, New Mexico. They have set up a kitten library in the lobby. Here employees can “check out’ a kitten to play with while they work. The library kittens come from a collaboration between the local shelter and the city officers. All these kittens are available for adoption. Oh, and there are no books in this particular library. Just a lot of kittens!
The story hit mainstream news earlier this summer and created a lot of interest from other government offices and the private sector.
Office managers everywhere are always looking for innovative new ways to help their employees be healthier and happier at work. Could this be a trend we’ll begin to see evolve across the country?
Becky (the office receptionist and the kitten librarian) was quoted saying, “The joy, the smiles, I’ve seen so many smiles.” Checking out kittens for an hour is a very creative way to help employees de-stress during their workdays and also a way for cats to find families. The shelter reports that since introducing this program a couple of years ago, 100 cats have found their furr-ever homes.
Employees can “browse” through the available kittens and choose the one that resonates best with them. They take the kitty to their office and, well, just work. City officers realized that if their workers took just a few minutes to hold a homeless kitten, a bond would form resulting in a relaxed employee and a happy kitty. With luck they form this bond and next step could be an adoption.
These adorable cats cost $50 to adopt. The fee includes having the cat spayed or neutered, given the right vaccinations plus rabies shots. These kitties are also micro chipped, heart worm tested and checked out for feline leukemia.
Employees at the county offices admit that their productivity isn’t as high as when working alone, but job satisfaction skyrockets. It shows to employees that the county does care for the welfare of its employees for also for the homeless animals in their city.
Adoptable cats are the focus of this Kitty Kondo program. Included are also abused cats with minor medical problems or kitties that are not being adopted as quickly as they should be. Tiffany Tillison, a government employee, explained the program. “Most animal shelters are out of the way outside of towns and usually outside the city limits, so you have to be really thinking of adopting an animal to take the trouble to go over there. With this program, hundreds of people come through our lobby every day, so they can’t miss seeing them!”
Tiffany is the drive behind the program. She posted a photo of kitties lounging in their Kondos and wrote, “My work has a ‘cat library.” You can “check out’ a cat to take back to your desk for an hour. The kitties are the newest addition to the library’!” Within a few hours of starting her program, she had ten interview requests and her kitties became local celebrities.
The program began in May 2012 in an effort to adopt out cats and provide easy access to the cats. The goal was also to circumvent euthanizing healthy animals. So far, after a couple of years, the program is a big hit.
It will be interesting to see how many other offices in the public and private sector will follow this lead. It’s a win/win. The employees love coming to work and the kittens almost always find a home!
Would you be a happier employee if your workplace implemented this kind of program? Drop us a note in the comments section below.
We should make this mandatory at all offices!
This is really an innovative idea. I have been a feral cat colony caregiver for 3 years now and it is true that the kittens and cats can help take the stress of work and life away. If I am in a not so happy mood, I go visit my feral cats and, within 5 minutes, my mood improves and I return to my tasks at hand with an uplifted spirit. It is definitely a win/win situation for the cat and the person.
OMG I luv this idea!
I am definitely going to put this in our employee suggestion box. I work at a bank so wonder how customers will react.
What about coworkers who may be allergic to cats?
Actually,the more you expose yourself to your allergy,you’ll build a resistence to them..allergy shots do the same thing…meanwhile they can take a allergy pill..They will be missing out on a wonderful experience…
As one that knows the true healing effects kittens and cats have in our lives. I love this idea! When I was diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer I had 13 cats. They `all` helped me through it all. When I couldn’t afford the much needed ‘script, Emend. An Anti-nausea ‘script. That was $448.00 for THREE pills. I was ill. So my bonded by hearts cat, Stinkie made the throw up sounds for me and laid along side me on the cold bathroom floor. She never left my side. Cats truly are Healers!!! I wish everyone had healing, loving devoted Cats in their lives. I know I’m much better off with Cats in my life. All of my cats are fixed and so loved.
Cats are natures natural healers.
This is a wonderful idea! You go, county offices!
Bloody brilliant. I wish that this model is recognized globally and is used by all the countries. How cool it will be to de-stress at work using beautiful kittens! Win-Win for the humans and the kittens. #Period