By GENEVIEVE JACKSON/Staff Writer
If you’ve visited the University Center at UT Tyler in the past month, odds are that you’re aware of the latest sensation: the campus cats.
Commonly seen lounging on the concrete segments by the Met or toying with leaves at Harvey Deck, the horde of four quickly established themselves as fixtures on campus. Sightings reached a pinnacle around mid-to-late October’s cold front, offering students a much-needed morale boost during midterm season.
Two pairs constitute our original cast – a black and orange duo nicknamed the “Sun and Moon” and two nearly identical gray tabbies, theorized to be siblings. Though skittish, the cats have seemingly warmed up to the doting received from students; certainly in part due to the age-old boon of canned food and dining hall scraps. Students enjoy meeting and photographing feline friends at every opportunity.
Many such photos and videos are displayed @uttylercampuscats, the “Cats on Campus” of Instagram. Though not officially recognized by the University, the student-run “paparazzi” account serves as the heart of cat culture on campus. “I started this account after seeing how the UT Tyler community came together to feed and support the cats on campus,” the administrator, who opted to remain anonymous, explained. “I think of it as a shared account for everyone; people send in photos and updates, I post them for the community to enjoy.”
Last weekend, the unofficial mascots’ story took an unanticipated turn.
Word spread on Saturday, Nov. 1, after a widely shared Instagram post by @uttylercampuscats described the cats as being “hunted down” and speculated that they were being trapped to be taken to a shelter. Cage traps with bait of food and toys were installed in various locations around campus, concentrated near popular sighting areas.
“It is imperative that we find a way to stop this,” the post, labeled ‘urgent’, read. “By protest, adoption or harboring.”
The University did not indicate involvement with Tyler Animal Control. Yet many students feared this was the outcome due to the shelter’s euthanasia policy. The facility is a “kill shelter”, meaning it may euthanize animals in their care after a short timeframe.
According to the City of Tyler, this “extreme action” is reserved for animals in bad health or otherwise deemed unadoptable, but the policy remains highly controversial. The state of Texas historically reports the nation’s highest number of animal shelter euthanizations by a significant margin, backing the concern.
In response to student concern, the University placed signage on the traps stating that the intention was to rehome the cats, not send them to a shelter.
All collected felines are currently rehomed.
The prevailing sentiment is that the cats’ presence on campus is beneficial to the student body at large and is sure to be missed.
“As someone with mental health issues, I tend to go on walks at night to calm down, and the cats have brought me a lot of solace. They give me something to pay attention to, to help me get out of my mind. There have been multiple instances where the campus cats have helped me feel better when the stress of college felt insurmountable,” commented freshman Samantha Wall.
“I personally loved getting up to go to class if it meant seeing the cats on my walk,” said student Mal Cesar. “After a long day, seeing them sitting outside the Met made me happy to go get dinner. The cats haven’t done any harm to campus, and do so much for student morale. I think it’s a bad look for the school to remove a part of the campus life that made students so happy to go to UT Tyler.”
Many students, including Cesar, disagreed with the removal approach.
“I think instead of getting rid of the cats, the campus should work to have them spayed/fixed. I would rather the money I pay the school as a student go towards that instead of paying animal control to remove them,” Cesar said.
Cesar is among several UT Tyler students who have taken in a campus stray.
In a closing update, the Instagram page expressed gratitude for their support and compassion throughout this journey. “People on campus are going to find homes for our cats. Meaning, when they are all living the high life with a family, this account will be deactivated. I am so thankful to have such loving people on our campus.”
Even in their absence, the cats remain a meaningful part of our campus culture.
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