If you have recently seen a cat outside the Kirner Johnson building, you have witnessed the new chair of the Dark Side Welcoming Committee in action. Yes, there is a Dark Side Welcoming Committee and the KJ cat has been instrumental in sharing awareness. Medium in stature, the greyish-brown tabby has adorable white mitten paws and a perfectly-positioned white mustache right under his piercing green eyes. They can usually be found perched underneath a surrounding tree, enjoying the shade and looking out for a delicious snack, like some french fries from the Howard Diner.
They said in our interview last week, “Diner french fries are my favorite snack and students have been so generous with me these past couple of weeks.” The reason the cat has made themself comfortable in the beautiful nature surrounding KJ in the first place is that a faculty member has been seen treating them to some food in the early mornings. The KJ Cat was asked about how they found their way to campus to which they responded, “I kind of just wandered here looking for some food and boy did I hit the jackpot with the Hamilton campus.”
A couple of nights ago, a student spotted the KJ cat underneath a tree, right close to the benches outside of the building. The student tried to approach the cat, but they were quite skittish and ran off into the woods. When asked about their behavior that night he responded, “It was truly out of character for me. I was startled and quite honestly, saw that this individual did not have food for me.” Fortunately, other students have had better luck making friends with Hamilton’s campus cat. Just last night, some students joined the cat in an evening picnic under the trees in the grass. Enjoying the company, the KJ Cat rubbed their head into the hands of his new friends and seemed very appreciative of the attention. They said, “It was nice sharing a meal with Hamilton students. They give great pets, too.” The KJ Cat is happy to put a smile on students’ faces as they walk to classes so long as they continue to feed them. The KJ cat has been a wonderful welcoming presence on the Dark Side!
