Recently, a proposal was put forth in Student Senate that would allow HART to place outdoor cold weather shelters for Hendrix's campus cats. Though the shelters have already been donated and would require little care, Dean Crawford and Facilities vetoed the proposal. Another part of the proposal—funding for cat food and flea treatment—was approved, but not the shelters. Dean Crawford cited concerns over attracting predatory animals to campus as reasoning. 

The shelters we have are designed to keep cats in and predators out, as the entrances are too small for raccoons and coyotes to enter. Shelters also prevent cats from seeking warmth in car engines, which can be deadly if you start the car while they're still there! Multiple organizations (ASPCA​, Best Friends Animal Society​, Chewy) say placing a cold weather shelter is one of the best things you can do for an outdoor cat in the winter.

Unwanted predators are going to come to campus regardless of whether or not we have cats. What you might not know is that in the past (when we had a full cat colony), one former Facilities Director took it upon himself to build and place wooden shelters. For almost 10 years, there was not a single instance of unwanted animals coming to campus because of those structures.

In the last few years, HART has tried to keep our campus cats safe by putting out homemade shelters using students' own posessions, but they were all eventually thrown out by Facilities.  We can only do so much with the club's word. What we need is student support to show Dean Crawford and Facilities that we care about these creatures and want them to stay warm! 

Please consider signing this petition and sharing it with your fellow students. Alumni and Faculty signatures are encouraged as well!