Salt Lake Community College students have launched a petition drive to help create a community cat program like the one at Utah State University, which sustains a healthy colony of feral cats and inhibits its growth.
Students want administrators to know that they care about the 25-30 cats who call Taylorsville Redwood Campus home.
“We call them the ‘library kitties’ because they seem to prefer hanging out at the Markosian Library, although they do hang out at the Applied Technology Building too,” said library employee and SLCC student Ashley Thompson.
In the past they have been able to gain the trust of the cats and get them medical care and into foster homes until adoption is possible.
USU established the “Aggie Cat” program about 10 years ago, to help cats in need of care and love.
“In that time we have been able treat and release (TNR) at least 80 cats, preventing an estimated 9,000 cats from being born,” said Whitney Milligan with the USU housing department. Currently she estimates there are about four cats that are in residence on campus.
“Surprisingly, the major financial donors are not cat people at all, but simply people who believe all creatures have a right to humane treatment,” said Milligan.
The hopeful outcome of the petition is to make SLCC administrators see that the students do care about these community cats. In turn, those pushing the petitions are hoping to see that the administrators will allow a program that can be as successful as the one at USU.
A preliminary meeting with administrators has been scheduled. This will then lead to a larger, more formal meeting where representatives from the Utah Humane Society, Mercy for Animals and SLCC Advocates 4 Animals will be allowed to present their case in more detail.
The petition is sponsored by SLCC Advocates 4 Animals club that meets on the Taylorsville Redwood Campus.
