Rachael McDonald (KLCC), Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB); This robot cat offers purrfect companionship for Eugene public library patrons to check out
"And while anyone can take one home…
“They’re typically for folks who maybe are suffering memory loss or maybe just are living alone and kind of lonely,” Berry said. “But really anyone can check them out. They purr. They meow. They’re really fun to have.”
Berry’s coworker, Heather Sears, a children’s services supervisor, said the staff were so fond of the cats that they also got a couple for themselves. The staff cats are gray and white.
“Because they’re really calming,” Sears said. “There’s research that shows cats purring is therapeutic. So we have a kind of quiet room that we have placed one of our cats. Staff have actually really enjoyed that — maybe you had a stressful part of your day or something’s happened and you just need a moment, and you can come hang out with one of our cats that are here that are not circulating.”...
Cats are part of Library of Things collection
The Library of Things has been around since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Berry says they are always adding to the collection."
