The Regional Organization for Feline Literacy has released a report that in the last 10 years, literacy among cats has fallen by approximately 35%.

Cats are highly intelligent beings, and have been able to decipher and decrypt the languages of humans for several centuries. In the past, cats have enjoyed the opportunity to read a novel or newspaper simply by sitting in the middle of a page while a human had it open.

Since the rising of the internet, however, fewer books and newspapers are being brought into the home while more humans are getting their news and entertainment through internet websites and television media. Classics of the past such as Cat in the Hat novels, PetSmart’s stock reports, and Garfield comic strips are being replaced with digital versions. Since a computer monitor sits upright, a cat is no longer able to sit directly on the literature but must instead sit on top of the monitor and read upside down, or sit in front of the keyboard just as a human would.

Humans, unfortunately, are being less and less gracious in sharing their internet time with felines. Screen savers and locked keyboards are becoming more and more popular. This unfortunately leads the cat with little choice but to watch the fish swim on the screen, or learn the news from alternate sources such as television or reading over the human’s shoulder (like a parrot). Cats who are more assertive will seat themselves between the human and the computer screen, but since the cat can not sit directly on the page being read, it might be turned or clicked away before the cat is able to finish reading.

Not every cat is able to be a literacy tutor, but there are many ways to help. The Regional Organization for Feline Literacy says that there are several ways that cats can encourage literacy in others. For instance, cats can read to eachother, take time to find reading materials, and read with (or even to) their pet humans when possible. They should take every opportunity to pass along language tips to other cats, such as pointing out the letters on cans of food or calling out letters that are on the television screen. Cats can also form literacy groups in their neighborhood and practice reading the written materials that are thrown out in the garbage. Cats can even work together to leave written messages for eachother, such as writing with their paws on dusty cars.

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