Please understand that I'm a cat person through and through, but here are some ca(t)veats:
Cat fleas love people. Just love them.
Cat food attracts pests.
Many people are allergic to cats.
If your museum has the kind of pests that cats would go after, you have problems that just having a cat on site would not take care of.
Cats love to wander around your precious stuff, knocking things off tables and shelves, playing with the dangly bits, shredding your papers, playing wild games in the hallways at night.
Many people are afraid of cats.
Cats require company, either human or feline.
Cats require veterinary attention, regular booster shots and exams.
Cat potties require constant and finicky attention if they are not to become objectionable.
Cats are not neat about killing pests. They tend to leave roach legs and little birdy feet lying about. They will put dead mice, with or without all their body parts, into their food dishes or in other prominent places for you to find. Bits of dead critters will attract other pests, especially if the cat hides them for later consumption.

Keep your cats at home.

Anne T. Lane
Collections Manager
The Charlotte Museum of History
________________________________________
From: Museum discussion list [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jenner, Nancy [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, July 23, 2010 2:55 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: museum cats?

I am doing some integrated pest management planning, and would like to consider the pros and cons of “recruiting” a museum cat.  I can’t seem to find much in traditional sources, and I wonder if this is because museum cats are frequently unofficial/unacknowledged/unauthorized.

If anyone can refer me to articles or other sources that discuss “museum cats” I would appreciate them.  Also, if you have your own stories, opinions, or caveats, I’d appreciate those as well (on or off list).

Thanks,


Nancy Jenner, Curator I

California State Parks
Capital District, Sacramento History and Railroad Sector
Sutter’s Fort and Old Sacramento State Historic Parks

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