Justin Boone, 9, sits on the linoleum floor, nose to nose with a cat. They eye each other. Gently the boy strokes the cat's ears and she rubs her cheek against him.

In a chair, fourth-grader Jasmine Rowland, 10, reads aloud; leaning over her shoulder, Abbett Elementary teacher Jeannette Harris softly encourages her as fawning felines weave around their legs.

A select group of students with special needs from Abbett have been experiencing some cat close encounters at the Allen County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals since the start of the school year.

The children read to the cats. This benefits the animals by getting them accustomed to human voices, said Jill Borkenstein, SPCA director. It's also good for the children.

“When the children first started coming here there was a student who was afraid of cats, (who) wouldn't sit on the floor,” said Borkenstein, but 20 minutes in the room with a volunteer and several felines quickly cured the student of any fear.

Abbett Principal Robin Peterman is happy with the program's success. Reflecting on how she came up with the idea, Peterman said, “I was watching a public-service announcement about neglected and abandoned animals …” She envisioned a partnership with the SPCA for the school's special- needs program. A call to Borkenstein and several meetings later, the pilot program started.

Borkenstein sees it as a win-win situation. Animals that are not used to being around new people get a little more socialized every time the children come. The children get to see that animals have good and bad days just as they do. Many of the children have never had an opportunity to be around an animal, and the program allows them to be close to an animal. She sees it as therapeutic for both parties.

“Their teacher, Jeannette Harris, says they look forward to this all week long,” said Peterman adding, “you see a real transformation in their behavior when they go there; they seem more relaxed.”

She said Harris remarked that the children may have been having a bad day, but when they get there they have smiles on their faces.

When the students return to school they write in journals about the animals' behaviors.

This helps with their reading and writing abilities, in addition to the therapeutic benefits of being with the animals.

“Studies have shown that people who have animals tend to live longer, healthier lives,” Peterman said.

She said the school is lucky to have such a wonderful partner in their own backyard. “As long as Jill Borkenstein will have us, we will keep coming.”

So far things have been running so smoothly that Borkenstein says she may expand the program next year and offer it to other schools. If so, she would like to keep it for children with special needs. “Some kids need some special things for them that they wouldn't get otherwise,” said Borkenstein.