Last spring, then juniors Rodrigo Aquino and Sergio Luna found a kitten on Melbourne Avenue on their way to school. Something about the kitten, however, did not look quite right.
“We spotted [the kitten] trying to get under Sergio’s leg,” Rodrigo said. “We assumed she was scared because she kept following him around.” But the kitten wasn’t walking, she was dragging herself. “We noticed her back legs were covered in dirt and weren’t working. We originally thought she may have been run over.”
The students brought the kitten to Assistant Principal of Organization Ellen Fee, who is known for rehabilitating lost, abandoned, or wounded animals. Ms. Fee quickly took a liking to the cat, telling The Classic that she is “super sweet,” and brought her home.
In the months since Rodrigo and Sergio rescued the kitten, Ms. Fee and her family have made it their mission to find out how best to help her. Students named her “Mel,” for Melbourne Avenue, the street where the students found her (and the street that Townsend Harris is located on). When she’s home with the Fee family, however, she’s known as Bori, a name the family gave her.
Since then, Mel has become a fixture of the THHS community. Though Mel lives with the Fees, she spends many of her days on the third floor at THHS, arriving to school nestled safely in a pouch that Ms. Fee wears. On these days, students filter in and out of Ms. Fee’s office, taking turns holding Mel and playing with her (on days when Mel stays home, a pink “No Cat Today” sign on the door signals to eager students that they’ll have to return another day). For many students, she’s become Townsend Harris’s own unofficial emotional support animal, and for the Fee family, helping diagnose and treat Mel’s condition is an urgent mission. After veterinary visits and an appointment with a specialist, Mel was diagnosed as a paraplegic cat who cannot use her hind legs. In addition, she has a spinal condition that is painful and requires medical attention. Since learning of this condition, the Fees have launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to help Mel get the medical care she needs.
According to the GoFundMe page, Mel/Bori has spina bifida, a congenital condition that means Mel will never be able to use her back legs. Even more concerning is an issue with her back. “When we pulled apart her fur to get a better look, the vet found that there was a small opening there and that it was actually her spinal cord bunched up and protruding through,” the GoFundMe page describes. This issue causes Mel pain and the page is raising money for surgery to address it. “The operation will ensure that she no longer feels pain there and [will] eliminate the threat of infection,” the page says.
As of publishing, the page has over $1500 dollars in donations, though it estimates that surgery, MRI scans, and other fees will cost around $20,000.
In between visits to her doctor, Mel works shifts as a kind of doctor herself: to students.
Rodrigo said, “I think the presence of animals helps students both emotionally and socially because seeing a cat at school can really brighten someone’s day.”
Multiple students have shared that they enjoy Mel’s company. Students from different grades describe Mel as a positive addition to the school. Sophomore Keira Legaspi said, “I love seeing animals, so seeing Mel was the highlight of my day.”
Matthew Chow, a senior, added, “I feel emotionally comforted by the cat, like a ball of love embracing me after every touch.”
Several staff members have also noted the calming effect of having Mel in the school building.
“This is a school where there’s sometimes elevated levels of stress due to schoolwork and so many activities. Having something that brings you back to nature—something small, cute, and looking up at you with big eyes—makes everyone feel good,” said Parent Coordinator Jodie Lasoff.
Interim Acting Assistant Principal of STEM and teacher Abid Choudhury agrees that Mel’s presence plays a therapeutic role in students’ lives. “I think it’s a healthy distraction. While I don’t have the research in front of me, I’m sure there’s ample evidence that the presence of friendly, adorable pets reduces stress levels,” he said.
The research does, in fact, back Mr. Choudhury up. According to a 2019 study, time spent with dogs and cats can reduce academic stress in students. “Just 10 minutes can have a significant impact. Students in our study that interacted with cats and dogs had a significant reduction in cortisol, a major stress hormone,” Patricia Pendry, an associate professor at Washington State University, told News-Medical.Net for an article on the study.
“Mel is able to calm students who are feeling anxious or upset,” said Ms. Fee.
In the past, Ms. Fee has brought various animals into the school, such as puppies and baby squirrels, and has noticed the significant impact they had on the school community.
She also said that she believes the animals she’s brought to school in the past create a sense of unity among students, fostering friendships and schoolwide collaboration for a common purpose. When Ms. Fee brought Mel to THHS , she said she knew Mel would have the same effect.
Last winter, Ms. Fee brought a litter of puppies to school, and like Mel, they received a warm welcome. Senior Sithi Das said, “I went to see them around three times. They made my day a lot better because it distracted me from my stress for a bit and allowed me to get my thoughts together.”
Simran Deonarine, who graduated in June, said, “I usually heard they were there through the social media grapevine and whenever I saw them on someone’s Instagram story, for example, I immediately got excited.” She continued, “The main reason I enjoyed seeing them so much was because I’m not allowed to have any pets at home and have always wanted a dog so it was a refreshing change of pace.”
“Everybody should get to hold a puppy at least once in their lifetime,” said Ms. Fee.
While the puppies brightened many days, they all found homes relatively quickly. With the level of care that Mel needs, she’s unlikely to be adopted and will be coming to THHS every so often for the foreseeable future. What Mel’s future looks like, however, remains in question until she can receive the care she needs.
“We believe, with all our hearts, that [she] deserves to live a long, happy, and pain-free life full of lots of naps, lots of diapers, and lots of love,” the GoFundMe page.
