We are honored to have an amazing partnership with the Kennebunk Free Library, located right on Main Street in Kennebunk. Books and cats naturally go together, don’t you think! And while of course you can check out books, DVDs and other items, you can also adopt cats right from the library! The partnership started in 2023 with a cat named Kitty and since then the library has enjoyed the company of and found homes for more than 50 cats! We all celebrated their 50th adoption this summer when a cat named Lucki found her new people at KFL recently!
The Library is a great place for a cat!
There are so many reasons why cats in our care thrive at the library!
One, it removes them from the shelter environment. Whether in a kennel or one of our cat rooms at AWS, our feline friends prefer more space! They do not provide the space a home-like setting does. While at Kennebunk Free Library, the cats generally free roam of one of the rooms! They enjoy the many tables, chairs and cozy corners the library has to offer. While the library is closed, the cats get to stay in a cat condo.
Two, it provides consistent enrichment and socialization for the cats, even more so than in the shelter or even in a foster home. In a public library, there is always people around during the day, and there is no shortage of visitors who want to snuggle and cuddle! Being a library cat is a dream!
And three, having another place to showcase our adoptable cats allows us to reach new audiences. There are people who have adopted through the library program who may not have known they needed a cat, and thus might not have come down to AWS. There are others who aren’t available during our open hours, but are during the library’s. And, not everyone knows about AWS at all, so it introduces them to our community’s animal welfare resource, in an environment they know. Not every community has a humane society (in Maine, there is generally one shelter by county, along with other rescue groups and foster program), but nearly all communities have a library. So for folks who don’t know that Kennebunk houses one of the state’s largest animal welfare organizations, they become familiar with us (and our cats!) at the library.
Current Book Worms: Phoenix & Chica
Library Cat Alums
Enjoy this compilation of photos, all courtesy of our friends at Kennebunk Free Library. And be sure to check our website and follow them on social media to find out when they will have their next AWS cat! Their instagram is @kennebunkfreelibrary, where they regularly share updates on their AWS cats!
