A stray cat now lives as the school’s mascot in Turkey.
A group of students at Karaoglu Primary School in Sehzadeler in the western Manisa province in western Turkey has approached their teacher, Fatma Dinc, and school principal, Murat Arpaci if they could adopt a cat.
They found the cat nearby and thought they should ask their teacher and principal for help. Fortunately, they were given permission by the school and named the cat Uykucu or Sleeper.
This is not surprising.
Turkey, after all, is a country that loves its cats. This traces back to the Ottoman Empire to protect the major cities from rats.
It’s no surprise then that the Turkish people are ready to adopt cats for protection.
And for more good news, a local veterinarian helped them out as well by providing vaccinations for Sleeper to avoid any health problems.
Now that Sleeper is adopted by the school, Sleeper loves to be in the school and around the children.
She loves to sleep with the sunlight bathing her and playing with the children during recess. When it’s cold, she sits on the warm radiator.
The students and staff make sure that she’s fed regularly.
When there’s class, Sleeper chooses to doze off and chooses one of the student’s desks to lie down at. She has also now become the school’s mascot. And the best part about their new school mascot is that the students are now very excited to go to school.
That’s always a good thing!
“Developing a love for animals is part of the students’ education,” Principal Murat Arpaci explained.
It’s great to know that there are schools like Karaoglu Primary School that prioritize compassion for humans and for animals.
And with Sleeper being adopted by the school, Principal Arpaci said that they now have 161 students instead of 160.
One of the students, Veli Savran, even said that Sleeper sometimes follows the teacher’s lessons with them.
Now, Sleeper isn’t the only cat adopted by a school in Turkey.
There’s another school-adopted cat and her name is Caramel.
She walks around the classroom, lies down on the students’ desks, and falls asleep anywhere, mostly on top of the students’ books.
Everyone loves Sleeper and Caramel because they act like emotional support animals for the children.
In fact, there are so many benefits for children to be around cats regularly.
Taking care of a cat teaches responsibility, how to be patient, and how to take care of another living being. These are important lessons that they’ll take even when they’re older.
Being responsible for a cat will also build companionship.
It teaches the children empathy and how to be mindful of others’ needs. And it teaches them social skills that they will need to interact with throughout their lives.
And lastly, there are several health benefits to taking care of cats and being around cats.
They’ll be less likely to develop allergies and asthma. Children can also learn how to manage their emotions through their interactions with the cat.
Are you ready to meet Sleeper and Caramel? Watch the video below.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
