Purrs for Autism brings Hermitage Cat Shelter cats who are social and curious to spend one-on-one time with autistic children 6 to 12 years of age, every Tuesday from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., at WorkAbility office, in Tucson.

The program is a collaboration of The Hermitage Cat Shelter, The Autism Society of Southern Arizona and WorkAbility, a program of United Cerebral Palsy of Southern Arizona. Purrs for Autism is based on recent studies of the positive effect relationships with animals have on the social abilities of kids with autism.

The outreach program from the Hermitage serves Pima County, and includes peer mentorship between older kids (ages 13 to 18) who face disabilities and are in job readiness training at WorkAbility, and younger autistic participants. A variety of games, puzzles and reading materials are supplied to provide interest for participants as they interact with shelter cats.

Location: WorkAbility, 601 N. Craycroft Rd., Tucson. For more information, call 520-571-7839, email [email protected] or visit HermitageCatShelter.org.