It is common to see plenty of cats roaming around Korea University (KU)’s campus. Especially near the surroundings of the International Studies Hall or People’s Square, it is easy to spot some of the cats resting or prowling around. Cats of different breeds reside on campus, using the area as both their shelter and playground. All with their own names, the cats are currently regarded as companion animals of the KU campus. As the presence of these cats became more prominent, the club KU Cat Shelter was created to protect these new residents.

Since the club’s creation in 2015, KU Cat Shelter has endeavored to create a positive environment for both the school cats and the students on campus. One of their main activities consists of providing shelters, food, and water to the cats. Not only do they provide the basics for their survival, but practice Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), which is the act of trapping stray cats and taking them to the veterinary hospital where they receive treatment. After the treatment, they are returned to the campus. The club also searches for temporary homes that can look after the cats.

The club faces monetary burdens to do all these activities. They raise money for their cause through donations and membership fees, and the funds raised are mostly utilized to provide the cats with food, shelter, and TNR. To show transparency and gain support from donors, KU Cat Shelter uploads card news with the transactional records on their social media. Other than direct donations, the club also makes their own goods inspired by the cats roaming around the KU campus. These goods are mostly for temporary events and consist of cat-related stickers and profile pictures. The pictures of these goods, their prices, and the events carried out by the club can be found on their social media platforms.

An event carried out recently was a fund-raising activity, Peulnyangyi, for street cats where KU Cat Shelter collaborated with rapper Lee Young Ji and other university clubs around the country. In this campaign, five cats were chosen through a cat contest from different universities. Lee Young Ji and other illustrators made drawings of the winning cats and the gains earned from selling these drawing were donated to clubs caring for campus cats. These events directly benefit school clubs both monetarily as well as spread awareness of street cats and the predicament they are in.

Another defining aspect of KU Cat Shelter is that their social media accounts are well developed, allowing for a deeper connection between cats and students. Through these accounts – mainly Instagram (@ku_catshelter), Facebook (@koreauvcat), and Everytime – KU Cat Shelter not only uploads pictures of the cats, various announcements, and club events, but also allows students to directly contact the club whenever they see a cat on campus demonstrating signs of illness or injury. Moreover, social media helps the club get assistance from interested students whenever they urgently need help in cases such as volunteering for temporary residence.

Although one can help the cats without joining the club, caring for the cats directly, as a member of the club may offer a new experience, especially for cat lovers. Anyone that is a member of KU can apply; however, the applicant should be able to participate for two consecutive semesters. Moreover, they should show interest towards the cats and be willing to assume responsibility for them. Unlike most other clubs, KU Cat Shelter recruits separately according to the small teams within the club. There are a total of five teams in charge of the different aspects of the club: the council, finances, human resources, social media, and design. The club recruits a specific number of people for each team through applications and interviews.

In order to gain more insight about KU Cat Shelter, The Granite Tower (GT) interviewed a member of the club’s SNS team, Park Gi Ryang (’20, Korean History).

GT: What was the main reason for you to join the KU Cat Shelter?

Park: To be honest, the biggest reason why I applied was because I wanted to see the cats. Last year, I learned that cats live on university campus through one named “Ppotto” on Everytime. After that, I got to know about “Buzzi,” a cute and lovely cat that also lives on campus! I wanted to meet them, but because I was a freshman, I did not know where they were. So, to interact directly with the cats, I decided to join KU Cat Shelter.

GT: When do you feel most proud in your participation as a KU Cat Shelter member?

Park: I have never taken them personally; however, whenever other members send pictures of the cats receiving treatment from professionals, I feel most proud about my contribution. Recently, in a TNR, a cat named “Phantom” that members have been struggling to catch for years, was finally caught, causing a festive atmosphere within the club.

GT: What is KU Cat Shelter’s vision and plans for the next semester?

Park: KU Cat Shelter is an animal rights volunteer club that works to promote the coprosperity of the cats within the KU campus. Currently, we are discussing ways to raise social awareness of the street cats’ situation by forming a network with animal rights clubs of Konkuk University, Kyunghee University, and Hanyang University. In terms of activities next semester, we will decide based on the COVID-19 situation. However, we will probably focus on providing food, TNR, and trapping cats for treatment.

GT: Do you have any last words to share?

Park: Some may believe that the club is simply composed of cat lovers, but as I mentioned before, KU Cat Shelter is a club that promotes the coprosperity of cats and students within the university. Also, I would like to send a thank you to the hard-working members of KU Cat Shelter! I also hope that all the cat friends living on campus will stay healthy and happy!