Most Tulane University college students know of Jeffrey, the beloved campus cat, who can usually be seen lounging outdoors of Dixon Hall, or the opposite 25-plus cats that may be noticed on campus.
Lesser identified is the hassle made by the Campus Cats organization to take care of these cats.
After Hurricane Katrina, Barb Ryan, administrative operations supervisor for the division of English at Tulane, observed an inflow of cats on campus and took it upon herself to feed them. Feeding them finally turned to fundraising for the cat’s vet payments and socializing them for adoption.
In 2020, Ryan enlisted the assistance of scholars and re-established the Campus Cats organization for the primary time since earlier than Katrina. Now, the organization has grown to almost 400 members.
“Our main goal is just to make sure that the cats on campus are healthy and fed,” sophomore Fundraising Chair Maeve McAndews stated.
Campus Cats has many “feeders” that present the cats with meals and water.
“I have canned cat food that I’ll bring or I’ll have cat treats,” McAndrews stated. “It’s really just anybody who has food and wants to.”
Maintaining the cats’ well-being goes past feeding them. From Oct. 17 to 19, Campus Cats had their first fundraiser of the tutorial yr to boost money to pay the cats’ vet payments.
“[Neutering them] makes them healthier and keeps the population under control,” Ryan stated.
In order to neuter them, college students or workers will alert Ryan when a brand new cat seems. She then makes use of her cat traps to securely take away the animals and produce them to the vet or the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the place they may neuter them at no cost.
After neutering, Ryan makes an attempt to socialize them.
“I bring them back to my house, and I set them up in dog crates,” Ryan stated. “So [I] just gradually get them used to people.”
When efficiently socialized, Ryan could have the cat adopted by Tulane graduate college students or different households or typically hold them herself.
“That’s the reason why I have five cats right now,” Ryan stated. She has adopted three from Tulane’s campus.
Ryan understands that some could discover the cats to be troublesome.
“Not everybody loves cats. And we respect that,” Ryan stated. “They are very useful in keeping down the mice and rodent population.”
Nevertheless, Campus Cats offers the care that cats wouldn’t in any other case obtain whereas creating volunteer alternatives for cat lovers.
“It’s a way to brighten up your day,” McAndrews stated. “They’re like our little therapy cats.”
“I was doing it just to help out with the organization because it was for a good cause,” stated freshman Campus Cats member Nuala McHugh. “Also, it allowed me to meet a lot of like-minded people who also love the cats and just want to help.”
“We’re doing our best to keep them safe,” McAndrews stated.
Ryan’s love of the campus cats could prolong past her time at Tulane.
“I’ll probably keep doing this till I retire. And maybe after that, if they let me back on campus,” Ryan stated.
