There's been an intruder in the Macalester College libary in St. Paul, Minnesota.
His name is Max, and he's on the run.
Librarians have posted a sign on their university library door to banish Max because an employee is very allergic to cats and people are worried that he would be locked inside. But he's been seen quite a few times, trespassing these borders. In the photo above, we have evidence of his intrusions. Guilty as charged. Moreover, the photograph of the notice on the library door spread all over the Internet. People are outraged at the library's banishment of Max. They want him to be allowed inside. They're even drawing library cards for this poor cat.
Serious Discussion Questions:
Should Max be allowed in the library?
Do you really think Max should be expelled because of one employee's allergies? (And other concerns)
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35 comments:
Because the notice on the library door also says that Max's owner does not want him to be in the library, I am more inclined to say that Max shouldn't be allowed to enter. People can have severe allergic reactions to animal fur, and I'm assuming that's why libraries generally prohibit animals from being brought in.
As mean as that may sound, I don't think Max should be allowed in the library. A worker is allergic to the cat it can actually be pretty bad for the library. Not only the worker, but I am sure other students could be allergic to the cat's fur. Also, allowing Max would mean allowing other pets and the library would turn into a loud place that would not help anyone. However, I think they should take the cat to a safe place if he keeps running around.
As much as I'd love to see a cat walking around a library, I don't think he should be allowed in there. There's probably a good reason that Max's owner doesn't want him coming into the library, and they have the right to say where their cat goes for both the sake of the owner and people who may be allergic to cats, like the employee.
Additionally, I think people could start making the argument about bringing their pets into the library. Like Julia said, the library's quiet, peaceful environment could be disturbed if people started bringing their pets in.
I agree with all the points made above. There are many places for cats and many places where they are welcomed by people, however, I don't think a library is one of them. Although cats are cute and can alleviate the stress of some people, it also can become a huge source of distraction and disruptance for others, especially in a school library where most people go to study for exams. Also, the fact that many people are allergic to the fur of cats and some (like my mom) are afraid of them, adds on to reasons why they shouldn't be allowed in the library, especially without the owner's permission and constant supervision.
While a cat inside a library is certainly an entertaining sight to see, it is detrimental to an employees health. Furthermore, we also have to view the owner's opinion. The owner of the cat simply does not want Max in a library where studies can be disrupted. I'm not quite sure that there is a valid argument for the other side (animals can roam freely because they want to?). In fact, I would go as far to say that allowing pets in a library sets a dangerous precedent. There are many people not allergic to cats, but allergic to dogs, mice, guinea pigs, birds, which would cause the library to become unusable. Therefore it is best to let Max stay outside where he belongs.
I, for one, am appalled at this gross injustice. We ban discrimination on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, etc, so therefore we have no right to ban someone (or something) because they have fur. Max did not ask to be born a cat, but that does not make his thirst for knowledge less significant than any other library-goer. Our duty, not only as citizens but as advocates of equality, is to provide Max with the same access to public resources as everyone else.
As much as I love animals, I think that Max should not be let into the library. Employees and even those who use the library can be extremely allergic to cats, meaning that it is detrimental to their health. While I understand that cats are adorable, fun to play with and can help ease off stress, I think it is more important to value one's health. Also, I think they should make sure the cat is in a safe place.
There are plenty of other institutions that do not allow animals inside their premises. If this were solely about Max, I would be against it, but libraries do not allow any non-service pets in their facilities. As Julia and Allie said, it's not just the employee, but also students at the library who may be allergic.
I do think one issue is that the days are getting shorter and colder, and so I do worry about Max's well-being. I hope he finds somewhere else where he can stay warm over the winter.
Although I agree with most people in that Max should probably not be let into this particular library, I think this situation presents a great business opportunity. Since there was so much backlash from the internet when the library did not let Max in, maybe there is a large market for cat-filled libraries and bookstores! I personally think reading a book in a big cozy chair with a few cats roaming around sounds wonderful.
I agree with what has previously been said that Max should not be allowed in the library. Most institutions like these do not allow animals and in this case the librarian is allergic so I do not see any reason for letting Max into the library since Max really has no reason to be there in the first place.
Since Max clearly has a passion for knowledge, a personal library should be built for the cat. Not only will this allow Max to continue his self education, it will grant other members of the non human community to gain access to education without disturbing the librarian or other library goers. It very well could be the start of a nationwide movement to educate animals. For all we know a lack of education for the animal community could only be the reason there are no talking dogs. Library for animals = talking dogs, its basic math.
Almost all libraries and other similar institutions do not allow animals to enter because of the possible allergies that some people may have to them. I agree with the people above me in how we should prioritize the safety of humans over letting animals, including Max, to be allowed in libraries. Additionally, some people may find cats and other animals in a library to be distracting when they are trying to study. I think what's also very important in this situation is that Max's owner does not want Max to go in the library. I believe that we should respect the decision of Max's owner more since it is his/her cat.
Sorry, but I don't think a cat should be allowed in that place. A library is a public institution therefore it the safety of everyone should be prioritized. If someone were to have an allergy, that would spell disaster for the library. The only exception is this cat is a service animal, which the cat isn't.
If someone really wants a car, they should adopt Max, but it is not fair to the employees, who work there almost everyday, to have to care for the cat. Their job is to work with books and not care for a cat, so like almost all the other comments, I agree with the ban of the cat.
Max should not be allowed in the library. It is the choice of the university to make rules banning animals, and these rules should be respected. There is also no reason animals would be needed in a library, apart from the case of blind people with guide dogs. I think that the people who want Max to be allowed in the library just see a cute post online and decide with their emotions, instead of actually thinking logically about the trouble Max could cause in the library.
Max should no longer be allowed in the library. Due to employee and customer safety the University must ban this cat from their library. Additionally, Max's owners do not want him in the library either according to the photo attachment.
While this might wound mean, they need to kick Max out. If the librarians chose to, they have the right to kick an animal out. There is no good reason why a library is obligated to keep in an animal, especially when someone is allergic to it.
In my opinion I'd love to have a friendly cat walking around the library and bringing joy to the environment, however I do think that these requests should be followed. A library is a public area and I personally know many people who are allergic to cats. We have to look out for the safety of employees and anyone at the library. The rules should be respected, since Max could possibly actually cause harm/problems to others. We should prioritize humans over animals in this situation because humans could potentially have an allergic reaction and there's honestly really not a need for animals to be in a library even though it'd be extremely fun. Additionally we should respect Max's owner's decision as they don't want Max in the library as well.
I agree with Megan. While the cat may be harmless and just looking for a place to hang out, it may be harmful to others. Some people suffer from horrible allergies and this could really cause problems if they were to visit this library. The cat should be returned to the owner and further action should be taken to ensure that this type of thing doesn't happen again.
I don't think a library is the place for a cat. I do love animals, but if I were privately studying at the library and a stray cat was under my table or roaming around next to me, I would definitely be distracted and alarmed. In this situation in particular, I understand that Max should not be allowed because the librarian is allergic and it is very likely that other people are allergic as well.
Unfortunately, Max should not be allowed to be in the library because of others’ allergies and concerns. I enjoy taking my dog out whenever I can but there are many places that don’t allow dogs for sanitation and health reasons. For example, I’m not able to and unless it’s a service dog, people aren’t able to bring animals to grocery stores, some stores, farmer’s markets, restaurants, and more because it’s necessary to be considerate and regard others’ and the general public’s health concerns first.
Libraries are not a place for animals. It's important to place one's safety over one's pleasure by having a cat in a library. I think it is absurd that people are getting really upset about not allowing a cat in a library. Like Nico said, I think people just see a cute cat online and just go with their emotions to say that the cat should be allowed in the Library.
This cat needs a place to go. By not letting him into the library, the librarians are violating this cat's basic right to shelter. Humans are not the only living animals on the planet, and kicking out this cat is a selfish and unnecessary cruelty. We do not know about Max's home life- he could be homeless, or his home could be an unsafe environment. The librarian should take medication for her allergies, and allow the cat to have a safe, warm place to spend his days. Allergies are a trivial factor, and can be suppressed, but one's right to shelter is more important. I realize some people may dislike cats, and allergies can be life threatening, but someones dislike for a certain kind of being is no basis for discrimination, and, if their allergies are deadly, well, hospitals exist for a reason. Max deserves a place to stay, and should be allowed to stay. #protectmax
As cute as letting Max into the library sounds, I don't think he should be allowed into the library. An employee, as well as other students, are allergic to cats, and I think that their health needs to be respected in this case. It isn't always as simple as just taking medicine. I have asthma and also am severely allergic to cats, and no matter how much allergy medicine I take beforehand, I always have an asthma attack after being around cats, sometimes even ones that are bad enough that I have to take my rescue inhaler 10 times in one day (when I usually only have to take it once or twice a day), and I still cannot breathe well for a few days afterwards. That is only if I am prepared, however; if I were a student who did not prepare to go to a library filled with cat fur, my symptoms would probably be much worse. I like Lydia's idea of having specific libraries and bookstores filled with cats/other pets. That way people who want to be surrounded by animals can do so without endangering others' health.
It is a health risk for some people to have animals in the library. However, I don't think that this constitutes Max being banned from the library. I believe a good solution to the Max problem would be to allow him in a certain sections of the library. This way, there are designated animal free zones where students with allergies can study, but students who want to visit Max can as well. Personally, I find that studying with a pet is good for calming down, and so it could be helpful for some students to be able to have animals like Max around
As much as it'd be nice to see a pet walking around in libraries, allergies are a reality that many people who choose to go to libraries wouldn't want to face. This makes me more inclined to say that Max should not be allowed in the library. However, it could be nice if there was a library that was made specifically so that pets could roam around, with a warning that pets are allowed so those allergic to them would be previously warned.
If there wasn’t someone with cat allergies working in the library, I would say that it would be a great idea to let the cat in. However, there is a librarian that is allergic. As long as the employee works there there should be no cats allowed in the library. However, there is the whole cat cafe movement, and libraries may want to take this cue to attract more (non-allergic) people to their halls.
I question, why is this so important. People in this thread have called for banning, admitting, or partial admittance. Why has this cat taken the fascination of so many? It may be that It it is the last week of blogging, and people need to post comments for credit, but there are 27 comments about this cat. The only post I see with more is the California wild fires one. Why are we so interested in this cat? Does this show something about the human thought that attention is diverted from serious issues of national events to the whereabouts of a cat? It this simple and fun distraction? Or could our attention to this cat be symbolic of some escape from current news?
Tilman, the answer to your question is that some people have been tired of commenting on politics all the time and would like to take a small break by commenting on this cat. In regards to the cat, I believe that Jackson is correct. If this cat really does like this library, then it should stay there until it gets a proper home. This can be allowed it the cat has a small designated area in which it can stay. But looking into long term solutions, the library should also talk to the owner of the cat and help him look for a cat sitter. I'm sure there are people out there that would want to look after a cute cat. This will hopefully solve the problem of this cat and prevent any severe allergic reactions from the librarian.
I think it is typically socially acceptable for domestic animals like cats and dogs to enter certain public places, however, I believe some main characteristics of a library are the quiet, calm and serene nature of a library. A Library for many college students, is a place to study for their classes. Most college libraries tend to have designated areas or floors that are placed on a scale from very quiet to conversations can be held. A library isn't really a place a cat should be, but if this cat has nowhere else to go, the college should accept it where it feels the most comfortable. However, the college can place boundaries on the cat by only allowing it to be in the certain areas or floors of the library where it is acceptable to talk and be loud. In terms of allergies to cats, the college could put up a sign on the floor where the cat will reside, warning any students or staff members of the cat.
You have to love the number of people that need to get their blog grade up. 30+ comments on a cat in a library. But to the point: The cat should be banned from the librbary because he effects the health of others. He also may desecrate public property which causes the library to take preempitve action.
GOOD LUCK MR. FELDER GRADING THESE 30+ comments on a cat.
More and more frequently recently I've seen that it's become acceptable to bring pets like cats and dogs to public establishments. In the Hillsdale mall I'm constantly seeing dogs that aren't service dogs that serve necessary functions like helping the blind. They're just regular pets; and I'm actually pretty bothered by this. I think it might be an unpopular opinion but most of the time the pets I've come across haven't been well behaved at all. I definitely don't want to be speciest or any thing like that - I love animals - but I think that there is an appropriate place for that kind of thing. And I really don't want to be jumped on and barked at while Im shopping for my underwear at American Eagle. I don't think that this cat should be allowed in the library, especially if an employee who has to be there is experiencing negative medical ramifications from it's presence.
I agree with Keegan. I think there are places that animals should be welcomed and other places where they are not allowed. Places like malls, grocery stores, and libraries are some where animals should not be welcomed. I am allergic to cats myself, and I would be annoyed if I went to the library to study or get homework done, and I wasn't able to focus because my allergies were acting up. Also for Max's safety, if he gets locked in there overnight, he wouldn't have access to food or water, and might defecate in the library, which would have to be cleaned by library staff and they don't get paid to clean up after animals. I think it's cute that a cat is "trespassing" in the library, and the way they are advertising it is comical, but the cat in the library has serious implications for library visitors and staffers, and it should be addressed.
I don't think Max should be allowed in the library. You have to respect the university's rules and the owner's intentions. I also think that having Max in the library damages an employees health because of their allergies. Cats shouldn't belong in libraries where people are trying to work and it serves as a distraction. It's vital that they place people's safety over the pleasure of seeing a cat. Plus, if the cat is jumping around and making a mess that's another reason why Max shouldn't be in the library.
Given that Max’s owner does not wish for Max to be let into the library, I believe that it would be most appropriate for Max to not be allowed into the library. In general, I don’t believe that cats should be banned from public places simply because of allergies, though I do agree that allowing a cat into the working environment of someone who is allergic to cats will likely hinder the employer from their duties. However, other than allergies, I don’t believe that Max will significantly disrupt those in the library from their studies, assuming that a slippery slope doesn’t occur in which multiple animals are allowed into the library. It’s pretty common to find cats in places such as bookstores, and I’ve found that their presence enhances rather than detracts from the experience.
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