The Feral Cat Initiative has begun a new chapter as it has transformed into its own student organization.
In recent years, ACU has been known to have special feline residents roaming its campus grounds because of a program called the Feral Cat Initiative which helps to feed and neuter campus cats.
Before Fall 2023, the Feral Cat Initiative was a program that the school helped fund and was mainly overseen by the groundskeepers and a graduate student.
The driving force behind this new chapter is Anna Oliver, the director of FCI, and Josh Hollwarth, the assistant director of FCI.
Oliver, a junior psychology major from Queens, New York, said she was inspired to start the club after a heart-wrenching incident involving one of the campus’s favorite cats.
“Our beloved cat, Snowball, was found with her entire face caved in from a tumor,” Oliver said. “I already wanted to get the Feral Cat Initiative to become more than just an Instagram account and more than just Josh and I, but after that experience I was like, ‘OK, we need to have this become a formal student organization to be able to really take care of our cats.’”
Hollwarth, a junior psychology major from Longview, said there are many differences between the last generation of the Feral Cat Initiative and this new generation.
One difference for this generation is that they are partnered with All Kind Abilene, which is the nonprofit organization that just took over the animal shelter. The shelter helps run FCI’s Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program, medical fostering and more.
Hollwarth said the TNR technique used now is much more effective as they have more people and resources to watch the cat traps and make sure they are catching the cats they are supposed to be.
“We also have a position in our officer team called community cat coordinator, and she kind of oversees and mediates between our organizations,” Hollwarth said.
With around 40 members, the club aims to provide more than just basic care for the campus cats.
With special initiatives such as their “Adopt a Cat” program, students can “adopt” a campus cat and keep up with their vitals and personality.
Although this initiative is focused on protecting and caring for cats, the club’s mission extends beyond cat welfare as it also fosters a sense of community among its members.
“Although we are for the cats, we are for the students as well, and I’ve made a lot of great friendships from the club,” Oliver said.
As the club works to take care of the beloved campus cats, they strive to serve as an example of compassion and empathy within the campus community.
