Kennebunk Free Library recently celebrated a big milestone, and it’s not the number of books checked out. This summer, the library adopted out its 50th foster cat in partnership with the Animal Welfare Society.

Since 2023, the library has hosted cats, giving readers the opportunity to meet, play with, and possibly take home a forever friend.

“It’s been wonderful to build those connections,” Assistant Director Allison Atkins said.

The idea was sparked when library staff expressed interest in having a library cat. It didn’t seem practical to have a cat living full-time at the library, Atkins said, so the staff brainstormed other ways to incorporate cats into the library.

Eventually, they had a lightbulb moment. The library could get a cat from the Animal Welfare Society, located on Holland Road in West Kennebunk, and have it live in the library until it was adopted.

“That way, they’re going to a forever home instead of living at the library,” Atkins said.

The Animal Welfare Society was on board with the idea, and the library got their first cat in June 2023.

The shelter is responsible for picking each cat the library receives, making sure the cat is good for public facing, friendly, and comfortable with attention.

“We pick the cat up from them and it comes to stay here,” Atkins said. “It has free rein of one room and people can come visit them.”

The program started out slow, but has grown exponentially in two years. Last month, the library celebrated its 50th adoption with the adoption of Milo, an orange and cream colored tabby.

Since Milo’s adoption, four more library cats have gone on to find their forever homes.

“It’s been hugely popular with the community and staff,” Atkins said.

The latest cat to enter the library is Lucki, a 9-year-old all black cat who arrived Aug. 5.

“She’s a little pudgy, she’s super cute,” Atkins said.

Lucki is looking for her forever home, a process which Atkins said could take days or weeks.

“We’ve had some cats that have been adopted out in a day and some that have stayed at the library for weeks,” Atkins said.

No matter how long it takes, the goal is to find the perfect home for each cat. The library isn’t stopping at 50 adoptions and it will continue to take in cats, Atkins said, finding the “purrfect” forever home for each one.

“It’s such a happy experience for everyone,” Atkins said. “We love it.”