WOODBURY – There are many traditions at Nonnewaug High school: Seniors painting “the rock”, our annual red out for Lukimia, raising thousands of dollars for blood cancer research and awareness, and the NHS vet science tradition, raising foster cats from Whiskers Pet Rescue.
This year, that tradition continued with NHS’ latest foster cat.
“Gigi is a female cat, approximately 1 to 2 years old, with a charcoal gray coat and long hair. In January, I received a call from Whiskers about taking in a pregnant foster cat, which is typically how the process works; usually there are stray cats wandering the streets waiting to be rescued. However, this case was a bit unusual,” said Jessie Hungerford, Nonnewaug’s Vet Science teacher. “Gigi was discovered at an auto body shop in Ansonia, where mechanics found her curled up and nesting inside a client’s car one morning. After checking the exterior of the building, they noticed an eight‑inch‑wide hole that she must have squeezed through.”
Beyond simply being a fun addition to the classroom, GG also provides a powerful learning opportunity for students.
“Having Gigi here is great for students because they get to see the full cycle of how raising animals works, from medical checks, socialization, and daily care. Many of the tasks involved in caring for the cats and kittens closely relate to different areas of our curriculum,” said Hungerford. “For example, we are currently studying animal behavior and training, so students can observe real‑life examples instead of just reading from a textbook. They learn how feeding, enrichment, and handling all affect an animal’s behavior and well‑being.”
A senior in vet science, Sarah Gilroy, shares her experiences of raising foster cats. GG gave birth at the end of February which created an opportunity for students to address the unique needs of newborn animals.
“Raising foster cats has been a very fun experience. We do everything to care for each cat, and get to know each foster cat individually that we care for. The newest cat GG who we just got has been very stressed out with the new environment. We don’t know much about the animal’s past so we have to try our best to get the cat as comfortable as possible,” said Gilroy. “We have slowly been working up bringing her in the classroom so she can get used to being around people and getting comfortable which is one of our number one priority when people are looking to adopt her.”
GG’s journey is just the beginning of NHS vet science’s latest foster group, adding to a growing list of litters students have cared for over the years.
“This will be litter number seven in my time working here,” Hungerford said. “In the past, we have had kittens named Kit, Jasmine, Onyx, Chili, Winifred, and Butterscotch, and now we’re adding GG litter to that list. Each litter has given students a chance to watch kittens grow from birth to adoption. Over time, this experience has helped us build a kind of ‘classroom tradition’ around fostering, where students look forward to meeting each new cat and following their progress.”
