by Marisa Seager
I don’t know about you, but one of the highlights of coming back to campus for me is seeing our well-known campus cat, Salem.
What started out as just a stray cat hanging around for food and free pets soon turned into a part of our community. Students would often bring him food and water, sometimes from the store and sometimes from the Commons. Sure enough, he would always return to that spot for more. Now that very spot is noticeably Salem’s spot. Right outside Bast Gym is his little home – a place to stay, a place to eat, and a place to be loved by us, of course.
Last year I lived in Maxey Hall, which is not too far from where Salem tends to stay, so I would visit him just about daily. This year I live a bit further away, but I still make sure to pay him a visit, not only for him but for myself.
As a person who lives with three dogs and four cats, not including my shared pets with my partner, my life at the college feels a lot different without that type of companionship. I never got around to completing the process of getting approved for an Emotional Support Animal, or ESA, but my guess is that it’s a little too late by now.
At the end of the day Salem might not be my cat, but he is our cat. Whether it’s a short visit or simply passing by, seeing him always makes my day.
