Judy Komarow, a teacher dedicated to helping students learn the art of working clay, is also passionate about work of another kind she does outside of school. Komarow loves to help cats. She volunteers at Animal Rescue League of Boston and spends lots of her free time focused on the care of helpless cats. Komarow’s passion for cats extends beyond the shelter – she has a companion named Pumpkin you’ve probably heard of if you’ve had Komarow for art, and she also fosters kittens and has found good homes for many of them with staff at Chelsea High.

    At the shelter, Komarow likes spending quality time with each cat, ensuring that it develops a normal temperament. The temperament of a cat is important in evaluating its health. A cat that has become angry or mean could be depressed or anxious.

    According to Komarow, behavior is also a big factor in a cat. If a cat is acting weird it could mean it is sick or some other issue. As a volunteer, Komarow changes their food and water, but also checks to see if cats have been eating. Part of this involves weighing them. A change in weight could hint there is something bothering a cat or it is not feeling well. Checking the litter box is also important to be on the lookout for diarrhea.

    Making sure each cat is healthy is especially important in a shelter because an unhealthy cat can infect the others. Some cats just get sick because they are in a shelter and not in their home. “It is a sad thing to think there are so many cats with no homes,” said Komarow.

    She has gotten three school staff members to adopt cats from this shelter – Latin teacher Herb Newhall, technology support guru Rich Pilcher and technology teacher Catherine Doherty.

    Newhall says he is the happiest man since receiving three kitten siblings from Komarow. She found them as strays when only a few moths old and fostered them herself, but needed to find them a real home. Newhall was excited with idea of having some nice black kittens, but was concerned his dog, Emily, would feel differently. However, during their first meeting they began to like each other. Emily has become very protective of Jellybean, Beau, and Stevie and tries to mother them. Now Newhall has one big happy family. “My kitten’s are like my kids and I love them,” he said.

    If you are thinking those names don’t sound like ones Newhall would give his kittens, you are right (he has since renamed them after queens and an ambassador). Those names were given by Komarow. The full name of her cat is Ms. Pumpkin Head Komarow, I.

    Even though she loves cats, Komarow cautions that they aren’t for everyone. . It seems it’s an exiting adventure to get and raise a cat, but it is also a big responsibility. She feels too many cats are stranded, have nowhere to go and over-breed. “If you are going to own a cat,” stressed Komarow, “you need to be responsible and spay or neuter it.”