UBC Okanagan students get cuddles with kittens ahead of exams

It's the purr-fect way to de-stress.

The Okanagan Humane Society hosted a cat cafe at UBC Okanagan on Sunday.

Students, who are preparing for exams, got a chance to cuddle and play with some kittens.

"It's our inaugural event," explains Humane Society president Romany Runnalls.

She says it's a chance to de-stress and reconnect, "Because some of these students do have animals at home and they're missing them, sadly. So, this gives them a little opportunity to be around animals and it's just very therapeutic."

An attentive but relaxed mama cat watched on as the little balls of fur brought joy and a bit of distraction to stressed-out scholars. This is a busy time of year for the Humane Society.

"We have almost 100 cats in care already, in foster care. About three-quarters of our foster homes are taken already, so we do need more foster homes because it's going to be another busy year. If we're this busy already, this early, then we know it's going to be a busy spring season."

Runnalls says the best way to limit the unwanted cat population is to get your pet spayed or neutered and not let them wander outside.

"Keeping them indoors keeps them safer. There's less chance that they're going to go missing or get hit by a car or contract some virus or what have you," said Runnalls, noting it also protects the bird and bat populations that are vital to the sensitive ecosystem of the Okanagan.

The kittens that were part of the cat cafe will remain in foster care until they're old enough to be spayed or neutered, and then they'll be available for adoption.