Among regular posts, the Centre County Library’s social media page is flooded with pictures of two cats, Horatio and Jojo, who are typically dressed each “Caturday” as various public figures posing beside their corresponding books, movies or CDs.

What started as the library’s cute activity eventually morphed into their large social media following, where fans of Horatio and Jojo can purchase cat-themed calendars from the library’s Etsy shop.

Wunderly said it’s wonderful how these photos have spread across social media, as a handful of authors, such as “Starter Villain” author John Scalzi, have shared the cats standing beside their works. Even People Magazine and National Geographic Kids took an interest in the feline friends.

Meanwhile, the library cat calendars reached 36 states and four countries last holiday season, morphing into a beneficial fundraiser for the library.

Horatio is dressed as Rumi from the movie "KPop Demon Hunters" to celebrate Korean culture. Courtesy photo

“You could never do anything like this before social media,” Wunderly said.

Mastermind Lisa Shaffer, bibliographic and patron services manager and cat owner, has been taking these photos since 2014, as her “Caturday” posts promote the library’s 65,000 materials.

But the original Caturday pictures didn’t look the way they do now, she said, mentioning that Horatio debuted on the library’s now-inactive Twitter account.

After seeing Caturday memes online, Shaffer asked the library’s communications manager about posting pictures of her cats alongside a book every Saturday.

“I thought this would be a fun way to highlight the library and library materials,” she said.

Horatio and Jojo are dressed up in suits to match author John Scalzi's book cover photo, "Starter Villain." Courtesy photo

Shaffer snapped a photo of her orange tabby cat named Horatio, 17, who was posed beside one of the books she was reading. And just like that, Horatio suddenly became a local celebrity.

“He is afraid of strangers in the outside world,” she said, “but he is otherwise laid back and very friendly if he knows you.”

Branching into costumes, she placed a cat-sized hat on Horatio, who was okay with the addition on the condition of receiving treats. Over time, Shaffer slowly added more elaborate costumes, scenes and even a 6-year-old tuxedo cat, Jojo, to her weekly Caturday posts.

Some of Shaffer’s most notable cat parody photos include recreating Hiroyuki Sanada from “Shogun,” Elphaba and Glinda from “Wicked,” Smoke and Stack from “Sinners” and Rumi from “KPop Demon Hunters.”

She said she’ll choose featured materials based on upcoming holidays, author or celebrity birthdays, anniversaries, or a fun idea for a cat photoshoot.

Horatio is seen dressed as the artist Vincent Van Gogh. The photo was shared by the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Courtesy photo

While keeping some pictures simple, Shaffer said the level of elaborate costumes and backdrops used relies on the piece of media they’re promoting.

Shaffer’s in-home studio preserves all of the cats’ costumes, wigs, props and backdrops.

As Horatio and Jojo’s costumer, Shaffer uses felt and hot glue to make costumes at home and yarn to make wigs. Other times, she outsources with toddler-sized clothing and manipulates the sizes from there.

“I used to say that Horatio would wear a size 3T, which is usually about right,” Shaffer said with a laugh.

Etsy is another source for cat-sized accessories, which is where she found Glinda’s crown. Her coworker, Julie, also sewed a small bluebird for the “Over the Garden Wall” parody picture.

Bibliographic and patron service manager Lisa Shaffer's cats, Horatio and Jojo, are pictured beside the library's 2026 calendar. Courtesy photo

Looking back on past posts, Shaffer said her favorite was a video commemorating the anniversary of the Criterion Collection. Horatio was pictured with a bag inside a makeshift Criterion Closet, displaying his movie picks that were related to cats.

“It was the only video I’ve done, and it was my favorite thing to do because I thought it was cute and different.”

Pawsome impacts

Throughout the years, Shaffer doesn’t think she’s missed a Caturday post since starting the weekly tradition.

Centre County Library’s social media presence has expanded into Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky and Threads. As of Tuesday evening, Centre County Library and Historical Museum has 11,100 Instagram followers and 8,600 Facebook followers, one of the most followed public library accounts in the region.

Horatio is pictured as the character Hiroyuki Sanada in the book "Shogun" by author James Clavell. Photo by Centre County Library and Historical Museum. Courtesy photo

Many Caturday photos posted on their Facebook profile have gained about 300 likes.

“Oh my. I absolutely love this. The best kitties ever,” Brenda Eberst commented on the Facebook post with Horatio and Jojo dressed up as characters included in Oscar-nominated films.

“Horatio, Jojo, and their human friends have outdone themselves,” Kimberely Anne commented.

The feline fame doesn’t exclusively live on the internet, as the library has two Horatio cardboard cutouts that live in the building, one at the circulation desk and the other on Shaffer’s desk.

Youth services coordinator Megan Strommer said they once encouraged kids to make their own Horatio paper dolls with coordinating costumes at a previous Bellefonte Arts and Crafts Fair.

Kids love animals, she said, so when kids see a picture of a cat beside a book or movie, they’ll immediately become intrigued.

“Because if the cat likes it, I might like it,” she said.

For older audiences, the cat photos prove that the library also celebrates voices throughout the world, including those from the African American community, the Asian American and Pacific Islander community and the LGBTQIA+ community.

“We don’t just have books,” she said. “We celebrate the arts, so it’s a way to celebrate the arts and those who are involved in them.”

While knowing that some individuals only follow the Centre County Library’s social media page for the cat photos, Shaffer said followers can still see their highlighted library materials.

“I think it definitely put the library’s name out there,” she said, “and it shows the importance and the reach of libraries. Our Caturday photos in the past highlight different aspects of our collection and materials you can find.”

Horatio and Jojo have also been used to highlight National Library Week, along with other important subjects such as voting and library programs.

“They definitely get the word out about what our library specifically has to offer, but also how fun and important libraries are as a bedrock of a community,” she said.

All sales made from the cat calendar come back to the library, she said, where a portion of the funds is used to upkeep their library pet, Axl Prose the axolotl. He lives in a tank inside the library.

Calendar sales are just one of the Centre County Library and Historical Museum’s successful fundraisers that keep their building open.

Public libraries are one of the few surviving facilities that welcome visitors free of charge to check out their materials and available information, which is why Shaffer said she tries to persuade social media viewers to visit their local libraries as well.

If someone sees Horatio or Jojo standing beside a book the follower might be interested in reading, they should check it out at their nearby library, because not all of their followers are close to the Bellefonte building.

“Go to your local library, use it, check it out. Check out all of the services that they have to offer,” she said.

Mirror Staff Writer Colette Costlow is at 814-946-7414.