UCLA dorm dealing with cat controversy

UCLA dorm faces stray cat concerns

Tux the feral cat has made a home for himself near Delta Terrace at UCLA. Signs at the on-campus dorm are now discouraging residents from feeding Tux and other feral cats in the area.

LOS ANGELES - Students at one UCLA dorm are searching working to re-home several feral cats that have taken up near the on-campus building, after signs have gone up around the area saying food bowls will be taken away.

Tux is an appropriately-named tuxedo cat who along with a few other cats, has staked a claim near Delta Terrace on UCLA's campus, a feline issue first reported by the campus publication The Daily Bruin. Devon May is one of the dorm residents who feeds Tux and at one point two other cats. She said that Tux "loves to get belly rubs."

"I'm an animal lover, so I have to make sure they're okay," May said.

Tux isn't the only cat who has fans on campus. Earlier this year, a cat who roamed campus named Powell died. Signs mourning his passing popped up around campus, and students and other Powell fans gathered for a memorial for him in March.

But apparently, someone on campus is not a fan of Delta Terrace residents feeding Tux and other cats. Signs have popped up around the area, warning that food bowls for the animals will be taken away. The signs say they're worried that leaving food will attract pests and other, unwanted wildlife.

"There's all along that wall is a bunch of trash cans full of food," May said. "So that's going to attract pests regardless. [Removing food bowls] is not going to solve the situations about raccoons and coyotes coming over here."

A UCLA spokesperson told FOX 11 that there's no official university policy against feeding cats.

"We've been hiding some food and checking in on them and making sure that they're okay," May said.

But now, with the quarter coming to a close and students leaving campus for the summer, those hoping to help Tux and his friends are looking for alternative solutions to take care of the animals.

"We found somebody that wants to domesticate them to get forever families, because in the summer they probably won't get fed," May said.

May said they've already trapped one of the cats, who is now at the vet, and they hope to capture the remaining two before the school year ends.

UCLA Residential Life released the following statement to FOX 11:

"While there are several feral cats that have made UCLA home, we know that an outdoor life is not ideal and we are identifying ways to find forever homes for these lovable cats. Additionally, there is no policy against feeding cats on the UCLA campus but there are measures to protect the health and safety of community members. In an effort to minimize the possibility of attracting pests and wild animals around Delta Terrace, residents were sent an email at the beginning of the quarter recommending that students refrain from feeding cats or leaving items outside for them. Flyers were also posted last month around Delta Terrace advising residents of the same and have since been taken down."