Meet our pets!

Meet our staff’s furry (and fishy!) companions!

Annette Carr: Long Island

(Clockwise from top left):

Teeny is the oldest and wisest of the squat. Her hobbies include napping, eating, and taking tremendous doses of catnip.

Pipsqueak is the baby of the group. She weighs about 6 pounds and brings us gifts every day in the form of dead wildlife.

Lil’ used to be a feral cat who wandered into the house and decided to set up residence. I guess you can say she chose us. She is also deaf.

Bunny is the queen bee of the house. She weighs 20 pounds and has an attitude to match.

Dora Isakova: Forest Hills

Let me introduce you to our smallest family member. His name is Max and he has been with us for over 5 years now. He can be very friendly and loving, but also very protective when there are strangers around. Our Max is very smart and knows tons of commands, his favorites are “jump” and “roll over.” Having Max can sometimes be a lot of work, especially when he steals food off the ground and then gets a tummy ache, but we love him very much and are so happy he’s a part of our family.

Lara Lasner-Frater: Touro Harlem

(Left to right)

Pickle von BunBun is a dachshund who is taken care of by my godchild. Pickle loves attention and giving people baths. She’s an old girl at 14 but still demands attention anytime you come near.

William, a/k/a William the Conqueror. My father passed away in 2016. In 2017 I was adopted by a cat named William which is my father’s middle name. I consider him a gift from my late father, except that I got a mischievous gremlin. William is loving and sweet to balance out his destructive side which is knocking things over,  nipping when his hungry, bothering his sister, and going into places he’s not allowed.

Originally named Uhura after the Star Trek character, she started getting called Miss Kitty because she’s a diva who often sings the song of her people at 1am. Her favorite things are to run around like a maniac and freak out her brother William.

Hoodoo is the senior kitty and in very good health for a 16-year-old cat. He likes to sit on your lap or chest and purr loudly. In his youth, he was fond of opening the fridge and getting into mischief.

Leiba Rimler: Cross-River Campus

The best kind of pet… very well behaved (except for when it comes to posing for photos, they don’t do a great job of that)

(Editor’s note: I think they’re fantastic at posing!)

Carol Shapiro: Cross-River Campus

Toby the dog (as opposed to Toby the Human, which is how we refer to my library colleague).

Kirk Snyder: Cross-River Campus

These are my cats Diane (calico/tortoiseshell) and Cinnamon (orange tabby). We got Diane as a kitten right after our daughter was born (5 years ago), so they’ve grown up together. She is very sweet, gentle, and friendly with everyone. Cinnamon is a couple years older. We developed a bond when she was a kitten, and I am still the only person she likes! She is very affectionate to me only and sleeps with me every night. She is not friendly to other adults but, to her credit, is very tolerant of kids. We got Cinnamon and Diane both through Anjellicle Cat Rescue, for whom we also sometimes volunteer to foster cats until they can be adopted. Most recently we had Jonah and Elijah for a couple months, two little tuxedo cat brothers. 

Kelly Tenny: Long Island

This is Ben Cat! He’s 19 years young, a pillow hog, a foodie, and my favorite reading buddy. You’ll typically find him soaking up the sun as it comes through the window or sleeping on his favorite pillow behind the couch. I adopted him from North Shore Animal League when I was 15 years old and he’s been by my side ever since. It’s been difficult to see him go through different struggles as he ages, but I am eternally grateful for every single day we have and have had, together.

Amanda Wong: Harlem

My cat Phoebe is 2 years old. She was found abandoned on the streets when she was a kitten. Now she lives as a spoiled indoor cat. She loves cheese and playing with ice cubes.

[Post and editing by Emma Larson-Whittaker, Library and Outreach Assistant, Starrett City]

Top Ways to Stay Cool in NYC

It’s that time of year again when it’s TOO HOT in New York City. Here are some ways you can cool off without sitting at home in front of your AC unit.

Visit one of New York City’s many public swimming pools

Photo by Nicola on Flickr

Click here for a complete list of pools.

Enjoy the sea breeze at Coney Island

Photo by sebastien cordat on Unsplash

Feel the wind in your hair as you ride the famous Cyclone rollercoaster. Or cool off with a dip in the ocean or maybe an ice cream cone on the boardwalk!

Go to a museum

Photo by Bernd 📷 Dittrich on Unsplash

New York City has over 50 museums and they’re all air-conditioned. Many of them also have free or pay-what-you-wish days. If you want a complete list of New York’s museums click here.

Bring your kids to a sprinkler park

Photo by CityofSaintPete on Flickr

Lots of NYC city playgrounds have sprinkler parks and splash pads for when the metal equipment is too hot to play on. Here’s a full list of playground water features.

Check out your local library

Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash

Find a good book for your next beach trip (click here for some of our recommendations) and enjoy the AC while you’re at it! We love to see you at our Touro libraries, but don’t forget about your local public libraries either!

Above all, stay safe!

Don’t forget to drink lots of water and stay in the shade as much as possible. Learn the symptoms of heatstroke to protect yourself and your family. There are also public cooling centers located all around NYC. Enter your zip code to find cooling centers near you.

What are your favorite summer activities? Let us know in the comments!

[Post by Emma Larson-Whittaker, Library and Outreach Assistant, Starrett City]