FORT WORTH, Texas — When first-grade teacher Madison Niederholtmeyer noticed her students’ persistent requests to meet her two cats, Orzo and Ziti, she found an innovative solution—using her pets’ automated feeder camera to bring the classroom joy.
Niederholtmeyer, who teaches in Fort Worth, Texas, often shares stories about her two-year-old feline companions with her students. “As soon as the school year starts, my class knows all about my cats,” she tells PEOPLE. “It’s a really easy way to connect with them and show that teachers have lives outside school.”
But after months of hearing, “I wish we could meet your cats!”—and knowing her cats dislike going outside—she got creative. Her Petlibro Granary Camera Feeder, which allows remote feeding and live video monitoring, became the perfect tool.
A Purr-fect Classroom Reward
Niederholtmeyer realized her students would love watching Orzo and Ziti in real time. She began projecting the feeder’s live feed in class, offering virtual cat visits as a reward for good behavior.
“When they earned their reward, I put the video on the screen, pressed the button to drop food, and we watched the cats run over to eat,” she says. The kids erupted in giggles, thrilled by the interaction.
A TikTok clip of their excited reactions—captioned “Teacher tip: let your students feed your pets a treat as a reward”—went viral, amassing over 2 million views. Commenters praised the idea as “motivating” and “cool,” feedback Niederholtmeyer calls heartwarming.
More Than Just Fun
While the students adore the virtual meetups, the setup also reassures Niederholtmeyer. “I love checking on them, especially when I’m out all day,” she says.
Beyond the laughs, she sees a deeper value: “It’s been a great way to build stronger relationships with my students.” For a classroom that once only heard tales of Orzo and Ziti, seeing them in action has made all the difference.
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