WOODBURY- Currently nuzzled together in the Ag Department at Nonnewaug are two adorable kittens with their mom. Born at the end of February, they always bring joy to the students who are working with them.
“This has been like an oddball litter,” said Jesse Hungerford, one of NHS’ vet teachers in the Ag Department. “I have to say, I always joke with the kids that there’s something in the lab air that causes our pregnant mom cats to have obscenely large litters; this is the first time we’ve only had two.”
The pregnant cat that was brought to them this year was named Chili, and since the students get to help pick names for the kittens, they decided to keep the theme going and settled on Cheese and Beans, matching a theme of ingredients in, well, chili.
“It’s a really good opportunity and experience to be able to take care of the kittens,” said junior Isabella Criscione, one of the students in Hungerford’s class. “Sometimes the mother comes in malnourished so it’s good to be able to help her chew and get her back out there and get them set off to loving homes.”
The students not only get to have the animals in class with them, but they also learn a lot about taking care. Students often grow their interest and understanding of how the whole process works.
“Depending on what group is taking care of them, we usually rotate every other day,” said Selena Argiro-Bevilacqua, another NHS junior. “We just feed them, clean their litter boxes, and give them water, and let them come out and walk around because they’re stuck in the crate for most of the day.”
As the kittens get older, the students have more abilities in what they can do with them. They can have them in class, instead of just in the separate room in the crate. This way both the students and the kittens are even more introduced to each other and the idea of having them there.
“(I like) being able to play with them and have them while we’re in the classroom learning,” said Xzayvier Martinez, a senior veterinary science student, “having them run around and we would just have them to de-stress.”
Not only are the kittens in agriscience for the students and learning, but once they are old enough, these kittens along with the mother, will be available to adopt. The circle of getting the new kittens will come to a bittersweet end for students when they go off to loving families, but that is the joy of having them there as well.
“Very soon the kids will be working with the kittens in the classroom every day, socializing them, working with them, desensitizing them, and preparing them so that they’d be excellent eligible candidates for adoption,” said Hungerford, who can be contacted about more information on the cats. “All three of these cats will be available for adoption through the Whiskers website and any students who are interested can apply through whiskers.”
For further information about Chili or her kittens, please contact Jesse Hungerford on campus at [email protected].
