The bushes and buildings of The University of Mississippi campus are home to dozens of feral cats and kittens.
However, these are no ordinary strays; they’re cared for and fed by Feral University Rebel Rescuers, or FURR, a university-recognized organization formed in 2002.
FURR developed as a response to plans to euthanize a colony of feral cats living in the Village apartments on campus and has kept its commitment to caring for feral cats as the central mission.
The group works with 9 Lives Cat Rescue, a no-kill shelter located in Oxford, to keep the stray population down through neutering or spaying the cats before returning them to campus.
Charlie Pritchard, president and member since 2011, emphasized that FURR allows cats to remain on campus without causing a bother and in turn keeps the rodent population in check.
Despite the success of the group’s efforts, Pritchard highlighted the need for more volunteers and student involvement.
“The group started out as exclusively faculty and now has about 20 student members, but we could always use more,” Pritchard said. “It’s a great way to do some service for the school and the community.”
A recent addition to the group of FURR members, senior classics major Kaitlyn Barnes, believes that the organization is a great choice for busy students.
“If you’re an animal lover, but don’t have a lot of free time then this is the group for you,” Barnes said. “We do a lot, without requiring a huge time commitment.”
FURR held its annual bake sale and cat food drive Wednesday, a fundraising effort that helps with the cost of medical care and food for the cats.
Tobi Ku, a freshman biology major, worked as the organizing force behind the bake sale.
Ku believes in the power of the organization.
“Everything sold is baked by the FURR members and the RC (Residential College) Cooking Club,” Ku said of the event. “It’s nice people having fun doing a great thing.”
Casey Stauber, FURR’s staff adviser, touched on the importance of student involvement.
“The organization has not seen much student involvement in recent years, which is something we are trying to change,” Stauber said. “The students are a valuable resource, and the experience provides them with practical experience in problem-solving, scheduling, organizing and fundraising, among other things. Their enthusiasm and energy is refreshing to work with, and I am impressed with the commitment and creativity that they apply to their efforts.”
Volunteers for FURR can expect to help with feeding, fundraising and trapping efforts.
The group also accepts donations in the form of monetary gifts or cat food.
For more information, visit http://www.olemiss.edu/orgs/furr/index.html.
