A history professor at Prairie View A&M University is leading an effort among his peers to save a family of feral cats that have caught the ire of administrators.
Professor Ian Abbey is working to raise funds to implement a trap, neuter, and release program for a community of about 12 cats that have captured his heart and others on campus, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported.
In particular a tuxedo cat named “Daisy” has become a furry friend to several faculty members.
After a kitten was found dead, likely from poison set out by administrative fiat, Abbey sought funds for his suggested program, which he dubbed the Catness Project, from the Faculty Senate — which was receptive and supportive of the idea — according to the article:
The project would ensure that tame cats like Daisy are adopted, and the feral population is fed, neutered, and vaccinated through an effort known as Trap, Neuter, and Release, or TNR. Faculty and student volunteers would feed the cats, stand back at a comfortable distance, then return to collect the feeding dish and any food scraps.
Abbey said by making the project a Leave No Trace program — following a set of ethics promoting outdoor conservation — he hoped the administration would be amenable to it. Under his proposal, the cost — $5,695 for the first year — would be covered by the Faculty Senate.
“Costs will be higher for the first year of the program because most of the cat population on campus needs to be fixed,” Abbey wrote in his proposal. “After this year, most if not all of the cats will have been fixed. As the population shrinks through adoption and fostering, there will be fewer cats to care for.”
But Cynthia Carter-Horn, the university’s senior vice president for business affairs and chief financial officer, said no, calling it an inappropriate use of Faculty Senate funds.
“I encourage them to seek sponsorships, partner with other entities, but to use institutional funds would not be the way to go,” Carter-Horn told the Chronicle.
Abbey remains undeterred.
“We also might just do some old-fashioned fundraising,” the professor told the Chronicle. “We’re still committed to helping the cats.”
Read the full article at the Chronicle of Higher Education.
MORE: Study measures effects of fur color on cat adoption
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