Cat pose took on a whole new meaning when kittens showed up at a recent yoga class offered by the Midlothian Public Library.
The fuzzy 12-week-olds did some graceful stretches amid the room full of yogis, who took periodic breaks from stretching to entertain the kittens with cat wands. Other times the felines were simply chill, sitting back and watching the human participants.
“Inhale for cow, exhale for cat,” said instructor Bobbi Pehle, of Joliet, who started a kitten yoga program a few years ago at Shorewood Public Library. Pehle also teaches social studies and psychology at Lincoln-Way Central High School in New Lenox.
In Midlothian, the kittens had free reign in a room full of cat lovers.
“Sometimes they kind of decide this is the time to get the zoomies,” Pehle said as several kittens raced around.
The session also was a way to find homes for the kittens, who were brought to the library from NAWS, a no-kill shelter at 9981 190th St. in Mokena.
NAWS volunteer Nicole Wanda helped facilitate the kitten yoga class, noting it was a way to “just get the exposure and socialization for the cats.” She said the shelter currently has about 850 cats, though around 700 are in foster care.
Kathy Lucas, a NAWS adoption counselor on hand for the yoga session, said library patrons couldn’t just walk out that day with a new cat. The shelter has a careful vetting process, she said. Cat adoption fees range from $85 to $165, according to their web site. The shelter pays for microchipping, spaying or neutering, vaccinations as well as dental ear and other checks before the cats leave with their future owners.
“We’re looking for people who are going to make that lifelong commitment, keep them indoors and take them to the vet,” she said.
Many of the kittens were brought to the library yoga session by NAWS volunteers Danny and Elaine Burch, of Blue Island. They also brought the kittens’ mother, which they’d taken in from the shelter when it was pregnant, though the mom cat stayed hunkered in a pet crate at the library.
To reduce any danger to the kittens, all the yoga moves were conducted while sitting or laying on the floor. But they offered benefits to body and mind for participants of both species, the instructor said.
“I love teaching ones for the animals because it gets awareness for the organization,” said Pehle. “It socializes the kittens and yoga is very much like being with your cats—you’re just present, it’s not about things in the past. And kittens provide unconditional love.”
Near the end of the session, Pehle led students in savasana, or corpse pose, giving the feline participants a chance to settle down.
“We’re going to let the kittens find their way back to their normal poses,” Pehle said. “This is pretty similar to what savasana is … allowing yourself to just rest and be.”
Afterward, the yoga participants said the session was not only relaxing, but also fun because of the cats.
“I just love how they had the toys out for the kittens, so they could interact with us,” said Jordan Smith, of Mokena. “The poses were very nice — to stay and play on the floor with them.”
Smith and friend Natalie Dubois, of New Lenox, both had Pehle as a teacher at Lincoln-Way, and came with their friend Mila Medina, of Oak Park.
“Everything was so fun,” said Dubois. “I liked how they introduced the kittens.”
“It was great playing with the cats,” Medina chimed in.
Library staff members got their yoga and kitten fixes too.
“The whole point of the class was to spend time with the cats,” said Katy Morris, a public services assistant at the library who loves yoga and cats and dogs. “Plus the kittens were cute.”
And the session might have helped one of the smallest participants find a new home. Library staffer Shelby O’Hara, who helped organize the event in Midlothian, said she fell in love with the runt of the litter, Miss Maverick, and plans to adopt her.
More information on adopting animals at NAWS is at Nawsus.org or 708-478-5102.
Janice Neumann is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
