For the past three years, a group of stray cats has lived quietly below Landrum Academic Center. They may not have been asked for or invited by the university, but they were adopted by the campus community as our own. Now, according to a university statement released to The Northerner, these animals are to be removed due to “health and safety concerns.”

The university claims these cats risk attracting wildlife, disrupting those with allergies and interfering with HVAC equipment. They are, in their eyes, a maintenance liability. But that is precisely where the disconnect is stemming from. These cats aren’t a harm to the community members who care for them: they are family.

I understand that the university has to uphold policies. They can’t become a zoo, that’s completely fair, but I think this policy feels like a solution in search of a problem.

These cats are giving the campus community something far too important to take away: joy. As students, we face high stress levels and rates of mental health issues; cats are a natural solution to this.

Take the allergy argument, for example. As someone who is allergic to cats, I understand the discomfort better than most. When I visit home, I often have to isolate myself from my family’s four cats to keep my eyes and throat from itching. I am lucky in that my allergy is not life-threatening, but it is a legitimate allergy nonetheless.

Yet, even as someone with these allergies, I implore the administration to reconsider.

The cats aren’t roaming the halls of Landrum or sleeping on desks; they are outdoor cats that are living in a specific, localized area where they have existed for years without incident or issue. While I understand the animals have no enshrined “right” to remain on campus, I don’t see any reason whatsoever for them to be removed entirely.

The university claims to want to pursue “humane solutions that support the cats’ well-being,” and I don’t doubt that, but I do think they’ve gone about this entirely wrong. To truly assess the cat’s well-being, one must see the level of care and support these animals receive from the campus community and take that into account. Removing the cats only serves to remove the support systems in place around them, harming both the cats and the community that loves and supports them.

I understand that the cats can’t stay at Landrum forever. Some faculty and students have brought up the fact that the upcoming long-term renovation of Landrum will inevitably displace the cats, and have questioned whether that played a role in the sudden action to remove the cats. Frankly, this is a completely legitimate point that needs to be considered: Where will the cats go when Landrum is under construction?

But regardless of how fair the question may be, it seems that the administration did not consider it in their process either, with no mention of the renovation being a cause for the removal. Nor did they mention plans or willingness to relocate the cats elsewhere on campus.

All of this shows one resounding fact to be true: The NKU community overwhelmingly supports the cats. As of writing this, the change.org petition entitled “Save the Landrum Cats” has over 2,200 signatures and counting. For an issue at a school like NKU, with roughly 15,000 students, that is a pretty big showing of support. Not only are the numbers noteworthy, but the petition is also flooded with comments about how the cats have touched lives and improved campus experiences.

On both the petition and the Northerner’s Instagram post reporting on the cat removal, dozens of passionate, upset and angry community members voiced their feelings on the situation.

As I said, everything being discussed here shows one thing: The community loves these cats and wants them to be protected. As a community member, I wholeheartedly agree with that statement and urge the university to listen to the students and faculty who have spoken up about this.

The unfortunate part of this situation is that I’m not sure of its exact solution at this time. Like most things, it’s more complicated than it seems. I’m not sure exactly the best route to ensure the well-being of the cats, while also understanding the university has policies to uphold, and sadly, I don’t think there are any feline relocation consulting firms for the administration to seek specialized guidance from.

What I do know is this: removing the cats from campus is not a good solution. It is clear where the community stands on the issue and the support for the cats therein. I implore the administration to reconsider their approach, so that we can come to a better solution with both the community and the university at the table.

I in no way intend for this to come across as an attack or ungrounded critique of the administration; this is just an example of people speaking up for something they believe in, and I think the people deserved to not only be listened to, but also heard by the university. The community has shown both the passion and the resources to provide for and protect the cats, so why not work towards a solution that utilizes that community support?

Before I conclude this piece, I’d like to give a little context as to why I am so passionate about this specific issue. I understand that for some it may seem trivial, but I understand the importance and impact that animals can have on people’s everyday lives.

In September of 2009, on my sister Katie’s eleventh birthday, she became a cat owner. This, by proxy, made me a cat owner.

Now, at five years old, I may not have understood the weight of the situation, but the little orange and white cat my sister picked out would go on to be the formative pet of my upbringing. His name was Mitten.

Mitten was there for me through every event that occurred in my life from that point onward. learning to drive, first jobs, losses, grief, moving to college, Mitten was there for all of it.

Over this past winter break, Mitten died peacefully at the age of 16 on December

23, 2025. I understand that loss and grief are universal experiences, and that the loss of a pet is not comparable to some other losses, but it was painful to say goodbye to my buddy Mitten.

He was truly just the best cat. He was sweet, relaxed, friendly, curious and just a joy to be around. He improved my and my family’s lives exponentially for more than 16 years that we had the pleasure of getting to spend with him.

That is what the university fails to see: the impact animals, especially cats, can have on people is incredible. These Landrum cats are living, breathing beings that deserve respect and dignity, and they also provide an invaluable service to us. We owe these cats a debt of gratitude, and I, and The Northerner, call on the university to find a way to let the cats stay.