Today’s Parks Pick-Me-Up is a special announcement: Let’s face it, when the house gets crowded, you — and your feline friend — need the relief only the Great Outdoors can provide. We’re proud to announce the opening of Cruse Cat Park, Springfield’s first off-leash Feline Recreational Facility, offering cats of all shapes and sizes a place to roam. Complete with in-ground scratching posts, multiple varieties of grass to be chewed, a songbird stalking course, and plenty of wide-open space for finicky cats to practice social distancing.

“We’ve been wanting a facility like this for years,” says Mike Crocker, DIckerson Park Zoo Director. “We might even bring some of our big cats over.”

Your little tiger will be a king at Cruse Cat Park. Opening Day is Wednesday, April 1. For more information: https://bit.ly/2UPhBgt

Be smart while at the Cat Park, and any park or trail: stay six feet away from others, avoid gathering in groups, cover your coughs and sneezes, and please stay home if you’re showing symptoms of illness.