The NKU Cat Colony that lives outside of the Landrum Academic Center needs your help! Due to upcoming renovations on the Landrum building, the cats need to be temporarily relocated. NKU administration has decided to move the colony to the grassy area behind parking lot I. There are many concerns with this area including:

• no storage for the materials needed to care for the cats
• no easily accessed water supply or clean up station
• the presence of coyotes in the area
• volunteer/student safety due to the area being poorly lit and secluded
• the heavily trafficked road between Landrum and Lot I being a safety and logistical issue
• accessibility for volunteers with mobility limitations due to the lack of pathways and sidewalks
• no shelter from inclement weather
• the area being used for scientific experiences and research

Currently, the NKU Cat Colony Care Society is able to store our materials in the entry way to Landrum's second floor. Because it is inside the building, it is temperature controlled which prevents our cat food supply from spoiling. However, the Lot I area has no such storage place. This would mean our food supply would rot in the hot summer months and freeze in the winter, which creates unnecessary waste and a huge expense for the club. 

One of the rules we were given by the university is to keep things clean. Without a proper place to clean up food bowls and materials, this is impossible. We are aware that there is a water pump in the Lot I area, but this is insufficient for us to properly clean up and would be particularly unpleasant for volunteers to attempt to use outdoors in the cold. 

The issue of student/volunteer safety is our utmost concern. There have been multiple reports of coyotes in the area by Lot I. This is obviously a huge danger to both the cats and the volunteers. The area is poorly lit and secluded from major campus buildings. Many of our volunteers have expressed that they do not feel safe going to this area, especially in the evenings when it is dark. NKU Police heavily discourages anyone going to secluded and poorly lit areas because it is not safe, putting people at increased risk for assault. Putting the cats in the Lot I area completely ignores this safety protocol. It is simply not safe! 
 
The road between Landrum and Lot I is a safety and logistical issue. The cats are at risk of being hit by cars while being moved. Moving a cat colony is a very slow process which would impact the use of that road. This would inconvenience everyone on campus who utilizes the road.  
 
For anyone with mobility limitations, the area is not accessible due to the lack of sidewalks or pathways. This would directly affect some of the student volunteer feeders who have real mobility issues. 

There is also no shelter for volunteers to use in the event of inclement weather, extreme cold, or extreme heat. The whole process of feeding the cats and cleaning up takes anywhere from 40-60 minutes, and in the event of rain, it is impractical to ask volunteers to be exposed to the weather for such a duration. It would also present a significant challenge, preparing food in rain or snow outdoors, without shelter. Could you imagine trying to hold an umbrella and open a can of food and scoop it into bowls in the pouring rain? It would be impossible. Volunteers would certainly get soaked, and then they might have to spend the rest of their day at school in soaked clothing and shoes, presenting a risk to their health and wellbeing, not to mention the challenge it would present to their ability to focus on their classwork while sitting in cold, wet clothing. 

The Lot I area is used by multiple NKU science departments for experiments and research. Putting the cats in this area is not fair to the researchers as the cats would interfere with any experiments. The researchers involved have expressed their concern with the cats being placed in the area. 

The Cat Colony Care Society is more than willing to collaborate with the university on the temporary relocation, but proceeding with the location of Lot I ignores many valid concerns we feel cannot be overlooked. We have provided alternative locations on campus that would be ideal for both the cats and the students/volunteers, but these suggestions, along with our concerns, have been ignored. 

Please help us show NKU how Lot I is an all around bad location to relocate the cat colony by signing and sharing this petition!