You’ve probably heard of reading to a dog program, but have you ever thought about reading to a cat? 
We at the Hermitage No Kill Cat Shelter & Sanctuary have hosted National Read to a Cat Day every March for 3 years. We believe the same benefit of a child reading aloud to a dog applies to reading to cats too.
The benefits of reading aloud have been proven time after time. The benefits of reading to a living creature – dog or cat (though we’d suggest cats every time!) are also proven. There is something profound about interacting with another living being.
Reading aloud helps the reader improve their literacy skills and vocabulary. Even reading the simplest of books can make a huge difference in both skill and vocabulary expansion.
Reading aloud reduces stress or anxiety and will often increase the child’s confidence. There is something soothing about reading and reading aloud adds another level of calm. When the child gains more confidence in their reading, they will have more confidence in other areas of their life.
Reading to animals increases the bond between child and animal. Ever wondered why reading to your child can become an integral part of their bedtime ritual? The activity increases the bond between reader and “readee”. It’s the same thing with animals.
And the animals also benefit in many of the same ways – being read to calms them and reduces their stress. From our standpoint as a shelter, being read to helps our cats socialize. The more socialized they are, the better their chances of finding furever homes. A lot of our cats come from chaos or are just not used to being around humans, so when someone comes in and sits down and reads aloud, they learn that humans are okay. And hearing the voice of humans can soothe them and re-assure them that humans aren’t something to be afraid of.
We’re thrilled to announce our new summer of 2025 “Read to a Cat Program” incentives! Pick up our special “Read to a Cat” flyer and start keeping track! When your child reads 5 books to our cats, they get a sticker. When they read 10 books to our cats, they get cat ears OR a treat from El Jefe Cat Cafe. And when they read 15 books to our cats they will receive a kitty stuffie OR a treat from El Jefe Cat Café. Every child who reads 20 books to our cats will be in a drawing to win a grand prize!
Our cats can’t read to themselves so we invite you to visit anytime we’re open (Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm, 5278 E. 21st Street, Tucson, AZ) and read to our cats. We have a little free library onsite, so you don’t even need to bring a book! We are also now partnering with El Jefe Cat Cafe to help more cats get adopted so you can read there too!
Can’t make it to read to the cats? Read to your own. Or color this cat coloring page and read to it (imagination is a wonderful thing!)
You’ll love it, your child will love it, and our cats will love it. Win-Win-Win!
Cats Rule -Dogs Drool