Library has a ‘meow-velous’ day celebrating cats

By Brad Heineman

There was a bit of feline frenzy both inside and out in the neighborhood of the Clinton Township Public Library last week.

That’s because during an afternoon session of programming on Tuesday, Sept. 9, the library at 100 Brown St. hosted the inaugural Clinton Cat Parade which saw library patrons of all ages visit nearby household cats along Brown and Jackson streets.

Instead of the more traditional parade-style event, library guests and staff members exited the library shortly after 5 p.m. and walked to participating houses that had anywhere from two to six cats as pets. The visitors from the library were encouraged to share in conversations with the pet owners and learn more about their kitty companions.

The library was also a stop on the cat parade and had quite a bit to offer for those who have a special place in their heart for cats.

Besides having reading material and books available for checkout that centered around cats and caring for cats as pets, the library had a plush toy cat adoption event; library staff including Director Mary Gallup and assistant Mags Getz brought in their own cats for patrons to pet, cuddle and play with; and Little Mews Rescue, a nonprofit cat rescue located in Adrian, had its own adoption event with six cats that people could meet and interact with. It was the first time the library and Little Mews Rescue have partnered together.

The Clinton Township Public Library has hosted other feline-centered events in the past including some reading to kittens programs with participation from the Lenawee Humane Society, but last week’s Clinton Cat Parade was a first for the CTPL.

“I just love cats and I know that one of the neighbors loves cats. I knew that she would be all over it. The idea just came to me one day. Actually, in the middle of the night I sent an email to my team saying we had to do this,” Gallup said.

The neighbor being referenced by Gallup is Therese DuPree, a Jackson Street resident who is the current caretaker for six cats: Aribis, 15; Pumpkin Pie, 12; Snooky Girl, 4; Princess Precious Robo, 4; Wednesday, 3; and Sandy Claws, 2.

DuPree said she has taken in several cats, even realizing a cat was stuck in a hole under her bedroom floor within the basement of her Jackson Street house.

“I’ve always been around cats and I love cats,” DuPree said, adding one of her favorite qualities about cats is the affection they show. “I like dogs. Nothing against dogs. Cats are just so independent. If they come to you, it really means that they want to be with you.”

DuPree said she was a for sure “yes” when Gallup asked her if she would be willing to participate as a stop on the inaugural Clinton Cat Parade.

“Oh gosh, yes. I was excited. They do such a fantastic job,” DuPree said of the library. “All of the programs they come up with, and for all ages.”

The library tallied a total of 89 human guests for last week’s Clinton Cat Parade, a smaller spinoff of the Wedge neighborhood’s Cat Tour in south Minneapolis.

Known for its historical house tours, the Wedge Live! Cat Tour, which celebrated its eighth annual event this June, sees up to 500 people walk throughout the neighborhood to gaze at cats sitting in windows. This year’s tour was expected to feature more than 50 cats, according to the Mpls.St.Paul Magazine and its website mspmag.com.

And for Little Mews Rescue, the all-volunteer, no-kill animal rescue organization recently debuted its brand-new TikTok social media page, according to Heather Ely with the rescue organization. The page can be followed at @littlemewsrescue, in addition to its Facebook and Instagram pages.