Alfredo is drinking water next to his new shelter. Photo by Nicole Droeger Stephens.
Seen wooden boxes outside? These are the new homes for The University of Tampa stray cats.
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By Nicole Droeger Stephens
TAMPA, Fla. — On Jan. 25, UTampa Campus Cats placed wooden shelters along the University of Tampa’s (UTampa) campus. The club’s staff advisor, Corey George, used $200 of Registered Student Organizations (RSO) funding to build the shelters in-house.
Last semester, the University of Tampa Administration reported an infestation of fleas under Fletcher Lounge’s basement in Plant Hall. Assistant VP of Communications and Public Affairs Eric Cardenás shares that the university and UTampa Campus Cats reached an agreement to relocate the cat colony behind the Macdonald-Kelce Library.
“Once the cats are relocated, the administration plans to seal the Plant Hall crawl space to remove all wildlife that may contribute to the flea infestations,” Cárdenas wrote via email.
UTampa’s campus is home to at least seven stray cats.
Two reside near the old schoolhouse, a white building located next to the parking lot near Smiley Hall. A Siamese cat named Alfredo is in a bonded pair, or emotionally connected, with a 3-year-old tabby female named Fettuccine.
The least social members of the colony are an orange domestic shorthair named Nemo and a mixed-tabby tortoiseshell domestic shorthair named Dory. The pair linger near the Rick Thomas Parking Garage.
Four cats reside near Plant Hall: a female Siamese mix named Lulu; a female tabby named Queen, who is bonded with the male gray short-haired, King; and a male tabby named Remy.
Isabella Doland, club president of UTampa Campus Cat, shared that she assisted George with the shelter locations.
“I decided to put one next to the old schoolhouse for Alfredo and Fettuccine because of their close bond,” Doland said. “The two other shelters were put behind the bushes of Plant Hall for King, Queen, and a separate one for Remy.”
A shelter is temporarily located near Fletcher Lounge until the relocation begins. Photo by Nicole Droeger Stephens.
George built the homes out of a three-quarter-inch sheet of plywood and composite roofing panels. The shelters were placed on wooden boards to prevent flood damage during storm season. They were also built to keep the cats warm.
“It helps with ventilation and warming if it’s not sitting on the cold ground,” George said. “We put in animal straw…so that the cats can kind of make their own bed in there, and the straw actually provides a good bit of insulation for them.”
George plans to use a similar design to implement feeding shelters in the future.
“Right now, they’re just plastic boxes,” George said. “I want to make something that’s going to be a little bit more durable and not quite as unseemly as dirty plastic.”
As the semester progresses, students can keep an eye out for their feline neighbors relaxing in new dens.
Remy keeps watch near his new home. Photo by Nicole Droeger Stephens.
UTampa Campus Cats is an RSO focused on providing care for the cat colonies at the university, as well as implementing trap, neuter, vaccinate, and release programs to reduce overpopulation.
The club will have its first meeting this semester on Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m. in the Southard Family Building, room 147, for Valentine’s arts and crafts.