Stretch, Breathe and Try Not to Get Distracted: Kitten Yoga Comes to St. Hubert’s

Yoga already asks participants to stay present, focus on their breathing and avoid getting too distracted by whatever is happening around them. St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center is adding one fairly formidable challenge to that last part: kittens.

The Madison animal-welfare organization will host Kitten Yoga from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 19, as part of the post-race celebration following its 5K-9 Run & Walk. The class, hosted by Be Well, is open to adults 18 and older and is intentionally small, with only 15 spots available. Tickets are $50 per person, and advance registration is required.

The premise is exactly as straightforward as it sounds. Participants bring a yoga mat, settle in for a class and share the room with kittens. St. Hubert’s says extra mats will be available for anyone who does not own one, and attendees are encouraged to wear comfortable clothing. The organization does not promise that the kittens will respect personal space, yoga poses or anyone’s attempt at uninterrupted concentration.

What the event does promise is that the afternoon supports more than a good stretch and an excellent collection of phone photos. All proceeds from Kitten Yoga will benefit St. Hubert’s lifesaving programs for animals and pet families, connecting the lighthearted event directly to the organization’s shelter, adoption and support work.

That makes Kitten Yoga a natural fit for a larger day built around people spending time with animals while supporting the work required to care for them. The class follows St. Hubert’s 5K-9 Run & Walk at the organization’s Madison campus, where runners, walkers and canine companions are invited to participate in the annual fundraiser before the post-race celebration begins.

For people who prefer their exercise indoors, at a slower pace and with a significant possibility that a tiny cat will interrupt the routine, the yoga session offers a different kind of participation. There is something almost unfair about asking anyone to hold a pose while a kitten wanders across the mat, but that is presumably part of the point. The class turns a familiar fitness format into an animal-centered community fundraiser where distraction may be the feature rather than the problem.

The limited capacity also keeps the event far closer to a small-group class than a festival attraction. With 15 participants, the session is designed as a contained part of the day rather than a large open-access activity. Pre-registration is required before Sept. 19, so anyone interested should register through St. Hubert’s official event page rather than planning to simply arrive and hope for space.

St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center is located at 575 Woodland Avenue in Madison. The organization describes its mission around humane treatment of animals, support for the human-animal bond and services for both animals and the people who care for them. On Sept. 19, at least one part of that mission will involve yoga mats, kittens and a room full of adults trying very hard to remember what pose they were supposed to be doing.

EVENT DETAILS

SOURCE NOTES

• St. Hubert’s official Kitten Yoga event listing
• St. Hubert’s 5K-9 Run & Walk listing