By Nathan Duke
Staff Writer

Eight inmates in four cells at the New Hampshire State Prison for Women will host an extra roommate for a few weeks this summer, but there are no concerns about space.

The prison is taking part in an eight-week pilot program in which several inmates will foster feral kittens, to socialize and adapt them before they are adopted by families.

Four cells on the prison's ATier are currently hosting seven kittens, as well as a mother cat with five baby kittens for about three weeks.

Carole Whitcher, education coordinator for the prison, developed and is coordinating the program with Bedford's Animal Rescue League. Inmates will receive training from the league and prison volunteer Jane Sherwin.

Warden Richard M. Gerry said the inmates involved in the project will earn a certificate at the end of the program.

"This will provide real-world vocational education for inmates in the caring of small animals leading to career opportunities upon release," he said.

Whitcher said the program benefits the inmates in other ways as well.

"Many of them have been in a prison for a long time," she said. "To have an animal in their room is a very soothing, comforting experience."

As caregivers for the kittens, inmates will be responsible for feeding them and managing kitty litter trays.

Most of the kittens involved in the program have been abandoned.

"If cats are semi-feral, they hiss and are not exactly cuddly and cute," said Whitcher. "The hope is they become that way."

At the beginning of the program, inmates are instructed to hold the kittens for five minutes each hour to socialize them. Once the animals become more comfortable, inmates will play with them and may give them toys.

After a few weeks, if the kittens are not ready to be adopted by a family, they are switched to another inmate taking part in the program.

"That way, the women don't get too attached to one kitten and the kitten does not get attached to one person," said Whitcher.

Each inmate has a notebook in which they keep track of their kitten's health, how much it eats, its social behavior and any other information in terms of the animal's development.

Elizabeth Mudgett said her cat has been well-behaved from the beginning. As she opens its cage, the kitten trots out and into Mudgett's hands.

She said the cat, whom she has not named, has a variety of activities it enjoys.

"He loves to jump up on top of the cage and stick his paws through the sides of the bars," she said. "He also loves to burrow under my pillow into a little ball."

However, the cat does not exactly fit into the semi-feral category, as he tends to ignore his scratching post, she said.

Mudgett is glad she took part in the program, which she said is mutually beneficial.

"I get just as much attention as the cat does - that is really nice for me," she said. "I am able to see a visual process in which I help another living thing. It's very rewarding."

Candi Serounian also said the program has been rewarding. She cares for Oreo, a mother cat with five baby kittens.

"I.m an animal lover, so I volunteered for (the program)," she said. "I wanted to give a cat the chance to be adopted and be able to interact with it."

Whitcher said each inmate was given about three weeks of training to handle the cats. She said once the animals are adopted, she will replace them with other abandoned cats, through the Animal Rescue League.

She said the project is popular and is based on requests from inmates.

At the beginning of the program, Whitcher interviewed women interested in training the kittens to determine who would become a caregiver. She ended up placing the cats in four cells next to each other.

She said all 24 women on the tier have asked to adopt a kitten.

"Since (the cats) arrived, every woman on the tier has expressed interest in participating," she said.