The tiny kitten chases a laser and the Ag students giggle and laugh in amusement. The small bundle of fur is not just for entertainment though. She will help the students learn about taking care of animals and protect the barn area from unwanted pests.
Tuesday morning, the kitty arrived in the most unusual way. She is lucky to be alive after her harrowing morning.
“Piper arrived at the Ag Center Tuesday morning under the hood of a truck that was dropping a student off,” Ag teacher Amanda Traylor said. “Ms. Real and I work the crosswalk this week as our morning duty station. We heard the cat and stopped the parent. Once retrieved, the parent notified us that it was not their cat, thus, she is now the Ag Center Cat.”
Piper is not the first kitten the Ag barn has adopted, the previous cat was named Mr. Pickles who was known and loved by everyone on campus. He went missing last school year, but the new kitten is not his replacement as it is impossible to replace a lost pet.
“This is not our first adopted kitten,” Traylor said. “Mr. Pickles was raised in our building before he became the barn cat. Mr. Pickles was loved by many of us. I like to say he was my cat, but truly he belonged to everyone.”
Mr. Pickles was adored by everyone on campus, and his disappearance left a deep impact.
“It was hard on the atmosphere over at the Ag building after Mr. Pickles disappeared,” senior Morgan Thomas said. “That positive feeling has returned after everyone saw the new kitten.”
Outdoor cats like to wander and students want to keep Piper inside until she is old enough to learn how to protect herself.
“I’m not currently worried about the new cat’s safety,” senior Jessica Konikowski said. “However, I think she should stay inside until she is old enough to protect herself from outside threats. I miss Mr. Pickles but understand they can go missing anytime since they’re outside cats. I just hope they have a good life with us.”
To continue with the P names, Traylor chose the name Piper for the new kitten.
“I chose her name,” Traylor said. “Mrs. Price and I named Mr. Pickles, so I decided to stick with the P’s and since I know she is a girl, Piper was it.”
Orange cats are known as the most chaotic breed of cats, and Mr. Pickles was no exception.
“Mr. Pickles was a typical orange cat,” senior Morgan Thomas said. “He would be nice one second and chaotically playing the next.”
Traylor and her students plan to keep the new kitten inside until she is spayed, they can’t risk the opportunity of Piper bringing more kittens into the Ag building,
“The cat that came into the barn and ran Mr. Pickles off is still here, his name is Roscoe,” Traylor said. “Piper will stay inside until she is old enough to be spayed because we do not want Roscoe and Piper to make any Wildkat kittens.”
Having a class kitten is not only fun, Piper can provide students with hands-on experience.
“I teach the Vet Med and Advanced Animal Science classes,” Traylor said. “We will socialize her here in the building, she is already becoming accustomed to her new home. We can use her for any of our hands-on activities, vet students will be responsible for baths and keeping Piper’s kennel clean. She will also be used as varmint control once she is old enough.”
With the loss of Mr. Pickles, the known and loved ag barn cat, another kitten will continue to provide learning experiences for Ag students.
“Having animals is important, especially in the ag setting, so people get used to looking out for her or animals in general,” Konikowski said. “It also provides new opportunities because everyone is playing with her, so you can meet new people in a way.”
This story was originally published on The Voice of the Wildkats on October 3, 2024.
