Library Cat to be Evicted

Browser the Library Cat discovers an oddly familiar face on the cover of Moonrise by Erin Hunter. #browserthelibrarycat #browserspicks #catsofinstagram
A photo posted by White Settlement Library (@wslibrary) on Apr 6, 2016 at 1:19pm PDT

The public library in White Settlement, Texas, has a cat named Browser who’s lived there for six years. He greets library patrons, scares away mice, and acts as a mascot for the library’s various fundraising activities. But the White Settlement City Council has voted 2-1 to remove the library cat, giving Browser has 30 days to find a new home.

On Tuesday, the White Settlement City Council voted to remove Browser, the cat that has lived in the library for the past six years. This came despite an outpouring of support for the cat. The council chambers were full, with most in attendance there to voice their support for Browser.

Discussions on this item began with Mayor Ronald A. White, who spoke in support of Browser. Council member Dave Mann also voiced his support of keeping the cat in the library. Eight members of the audience also spoke, each of them voicing their approval for keeping Browser in the library. Reasons given were his pest control abilities, his ability to draw children to the library, and the fact that he is loved by the people of the city. A petition signed by 618 people who support keeping the cat in the library was also mentioned.

The reason given was that some people may be allergic to cats, although a few people who are allergic spoke in favor of keeping Browser. Browser has until July 14th to find a new home. The cat’s supporters want his fate to be put to a vote in a city-wide referendum. Some reminded the council members that their positions are also up to a vote in November. -via Buzzfeed

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While I'm not saying I agree with the ban, and I think it should depend upon actual problems instead of theoretical ones, I'm not sure people appreciate how bad cat allergies can be. I certainly didn't until recently. I developed an allergy to cats, despite having owned some for years now, and being in daily contact with them has helped with developed tolerance to the allergens. But after two weeks away for a business trip, I had some bad reactions upon return (... household arguments about whether someone should go to the hospital or not are not fun). I'll put up with it for family, because I like cats, and because the tolerance does help. But I am not near the far end of the scale of cat allergies considering I have had friends and coworkers that would get pretty sick just touching furniture or clothes once slept on by a cat. They're cases aren't quiet as bad as some stories I've heard about peanut allergies (and I don't agree with how some places handle peanut allergies either), but it would really suck for something like that to impact someone using a public service. But again, "would" is a keyword, as I think in a small community it depends on there being an actual problem and not just potential for a problem in a situation like this where you can cross a bridge if you ever actually get to it.

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Like the people who named that town? I told myself that it was probably founded by a man named White, but no.

The name of White Settlement originated as a result of there being two settlements in the area: one occupied predominantly by Native Americans (near where Fort Worth is located today), and the other one being occupied by white settlers. The latter settlement received the name "White Settlement" as a way to distinguish itself from the Native American settlement. The city was incorporated in 1941.[8]

On October 14, 2005, city leaders announced a plan to have local voters decide on a possible name change for the town from White Settlement to West Settlement. In the November 8 election, the name change was overwhelmingly rejected by a vote of 2388 to 219.