Meet Issy, the fluffy Siberian forest cat, who is the library cat at Oxford University. Librarian Jamie Fishwick-Ford began bringing Issy to work immediately after adopting him as a kitten six years ago. The cat spends most of his time there, relaxing in his owner’s office, only leaving when people want to pet him or when he’s taken outside for some tree climbing exercise. “He’s not allowed to free roam around the library or the college,” explained Jamie, who’s been with the library for 10 years. The 43-year-old said her cat has proven to be extremely popular with the students and definitely loves the attention they give him. Jamie went on to explain that the college had a policy allowing employees to bring their dogs to work, as long as they stayed in the employee’s office. That’s when Jamie decided to bring Issy to work with her. She went on to explain that the students often seek out Issy for comfort in dealing with the stresses of being away from home for the first time. Jamie explained that several other colleges have their own pets, including dogs and tortoises, but Issy is the only library cat. “He’s already got a long list of colleges that want him to visit next term, so his diary is very booked up at the moment.”
