When students began to arrive on campus at the beginning of the semester, a small and whiskered friend was there to greet them. A stray cat had decided that the campus was the perfect place for him to live. He was quickly “adopted” by all the students, who were more than willing to provide him with all the attention and petshis cat heart could desire. His good looks convinced students to bring him food, whether that be store-bought cat food or the chicken from the Great Hall. Often seen stalking through the bushes around the library or lounging in the sun near Mills, the cat was a source of much joy and comfort to students struggling with the daily homework grind or homesickness. So much so that a student created an Instagram account for people to share pictures and stories about the new student mascot. Through this page, an official name was decided for the cat, who would now be known as CovCat.
As the semester continued and winter began to set in, some students started to worry for the beloved feline. With no official shelter, and pets forbidden in dorms, there was concern that CovCat would not have a warm and safe space to hide in. As temperatures plummeted and stormy weather approached, these concerns grew and grew. However, there is a happy ending to the story. A kind couple decided that they needed a new friend. As they live just down the road from the campus, it was not hard for them to take a cat bag and pick up CovCat. After a slight panic over his disappearance, students were relieved to hear that he had not been sent to a shelter or worse but instead was in a warm home where he belonged. While we all will miss our Covenant Cat, it is a comfort that he is safe and as spoiled as he deserves.