The group has now gone down to the cattery several times over the past weeks, in an activity designed to strengthen their reading skills in a relaxed and welcoming environment.
‘I really like it – it’s very relaxing,’ said Neva Longson, who brought her novel The Light Jar to read to her feline audience.
Her fellow two classmates also both felt positively about the experience – even though they might not otherwise have a taste for reading.
‘Sometimes reading’s quite boring, but it’s more fun with the cats,’ said Marley de Silva, 13, who seemed well-beloved by the GSPCA’s Mr B, who is blind.
As well as making reading a more enjoyable activity, the cat reading sessions are also intended to boost confidence and communication skills.
‘It’s been really good. We’ve seen that it’s been really helpful for their verbal fluency,’ said Les Beaucamps teacher Lisa Harvey.
‘It also helps improve interactive skills, because animals react to your tone of voice.’
During the sessions, the children are supervised both by their teacher and GSPCA supervisor Anna Paint, who said that the pupils managed the experience excellently.
‘They were absolutely wonderful – patient, calm, and really engaged with the cats,’ she said.
‘It was lovely watching them sit quietly and read, giving the cats a relaxed and positive experience. Reading to animals can make such a difference, and the students did a fantastic job in the cattery.’