Why You Should Work at Kitty Bungalow as Your Work-Study Job

by Adrian Mendoza ‘25

Last semester, I started at my first work-study job, and it was exactly what everyone thinks of when they think of work-study; I sat at a front desk and did homework for four hours while occasionally being interrupted to make a photocopy or direct a lost student. This type of job is a great option if you worry about balancing work with school – I certainly was my most productive at work and often felt like I was doubling up on my productivity by basically getting paid to do homework. If you’re looking for a more fun and engaging way to earn your work-study award, however, I highly suggest applying next year to be a cat care assistant at the cat shelter Kitty Bungalow, my much more interesting current work-study position.

Because Kitty Bungalow is a small cat shelter, their work-study program enables them to hire staff they wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford by opening the positions up to USC students and using federal funding to pay them. This is a great win-win for students looking for fun work-study opportunities and for the shelter who are always in need of extra help. USC students can apply like any other work-study job through Simplicity and will receive an email from the Director of Operations, Alma Vera. 

1) You (technically) Get Paid to Play with Cats

While, yes, the primary role of a cat care assistant is actually cleaning up after the cats, you interact with them all day. You may be sweeping up spilled litter and, somewhat annoyingly but very cutely, you’re likely to have kittens climbing up your leg and chasing after the broom.

Part of the job is also monitoring and socializing the cats. Staff and volunteers are therefore encouraged to spend time sitting with and playing with the cats once the major cleaning tasks are completed. This helps the cats get used to being around people and gives you a chance to notice if there is anything to note on their health or behavior – this includes positive notes that will help prospective adopters find the right match for them!

2) It’s LGBTQ+ friendly

You may or may not be under the assumption that all work study jobs at USC are more or less LGBTQ+ friendly, but it actually varies drastically depending on the work culture and who you work with. I’ve certainly felt scrutinized for my identities in my previous work study experiences but have felt extremely welcomed and respected at Kitty Bungalow.

The offices are adorned with mini LGBTQ+ pride flags and the work culture encourages workers to ask for and respect one another’s pronouns. You’ll never be made to feel that you can’t express your identity, and you’re likely to find many others who share your experiences.

3) The Puns

The official name for the location of Kitty Bungalow near USC is Kitty Bungalow: Charm School for Wayward Cats, and they are committed to the school bit. New cats are considered “enrollees” and become graduates when they’re ready to be adopted. Volunteers are “charm school teachers,” and the faculty are given titles such as “Dean of Students,” “School Principal,” and “Guidance Counselor.”

4) Everyone Wants to be There

Many of your co-workers will be volunteers who aren’t paid but believe in the Kitty Bungalow’s mission and love cats. Some have even been volunteering there weekly for years. But whether volunteer, staff, or faculty, everyone at Kitty Bungalow cares deeply for our students.

If you get the chance to meet our “Camp Counselor” Linda Okimoto, you’ll clearly see the passion and dedication our faculty have for their work. Linda is always donning her cat t-shirts, cat watch, and cat laptop cover. Much of the staff have also adopted some of their own cats from Kitty Bungalow, so they have an especially personal connection with the shelter.

5) You are Helping the Community

A big part of the job of Kitty Bungalow is their Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) program. Like the name suggests, this is where stray cats are taken in long enough to be spayed/neutered and treated for any illness or injuries they have and then are released back into the community. Because the overpopulation of stray cats is such a large issue in Los Angeles, this is doing a huge service to the community, ensuring that generations of stray cats don’t continue to multiply. 

6) You Might Decide You Want to Take One Home With You

Many of our staff and faculty also foster – which we provide all the supplies for – making it a great, inexpensive way to help out and bring a cat into your life. As you probably know, once you bring a cat home, you’ll often want to adopt it. So if you’re looking to adopt a cat, this is a great way to find the right one for you.

You get to know many of the cats really well – I never expected to be able to tell so many near-identical tabbies apart – so if you’re able to adopt one of the cats, you get to bond with them first. You also get a lot of experience taking care of cats and grow accustomed to the cleaning and feeding routine so you can then easily apply your work skills into personal pet ownership.

Kitty Bungalow is a still small organization that relies on community support, so even if you are not able to work as a work-study student, I also encourage you to consider following @kittybungalow on Instagram to follow their journey (and see cute cats!), donate, volunteer, and foster/adopt a cat!

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