New Cuddly Creatures Join Finals Roster

College Library is pleased to announce that a new partner will join the library in helping students cope with anxiety during finals this semester. While certain details have yet to be confirmed, Bradley Houston of All Creatures Rental expressed his delight at being able to participate in a stress reduction activity for students on campus. He admits, “Although not everyone appreciates the calming presence of my ‘creatures,’ I am sure that the discernment of UW-Madison students will ensure a mutual beneficial experience for all involved.” In an effort to demonstrate his commitment to the program (and his school spirit), Houston, Class of 2005, has outfitted his menagerie with symbols of Badger pride.

Scheduled to be on hand for Study Day on May 7 is Charlotte, Houston’s favorite Aphonopelma atomicum whom he rescued from a shelter in California. Admittedly, it was a park shelter, but Houston remains firmly committed to a rescue ethos and practices a strict no-kill policy with all of his creatures. Charlotte quickly took to her Wisconsin embellishment. Indeed, her Badger pride was such that her leaping ability increased two-fold. While this does mean that Charlotte occasionally becomes entangled in a patron’s hair, Houston assures us that the spider bites, while painful, are definitely not poisonous.

Also on hand on Study Day will be Millie the millipede. A fine specimen, measuring nearly 10 inches in length, Millie is perhaps Houston’s most popular arthropod. Although there are 7,000 species of millipedes (which can be found on every continent except Antarctica), Millie is the only one, to Houston’s knowledge, who enjoys cavorting about public spaces while wearing a custom-made Badger hat.

Charlotte and Millie will be joined by a host of other cuddly insects, arachnids, and reptiles. Houston assures staff that he learned his lesson and will refrain from bringing any flesh-eating or burrowing insects with him to College Library. “That whole tsetse fly incident in Caledonia was blown completely out of proportion,” according to Houston, he continues “those affected by sleeping sickness have completely recovered.”

We thank All Creatures Rental for donating their services to what promises to be a well-run and very calming visit to the library.

April 1, 2016