Story by Sylvia Quintanilla

Yellow eyes of silent campus residents brightly watch from the trees. Others lay out in the sun and sleep. New Mexico State University is not only home to the Aggies, but to feral cats as well.

Since 2002, the Feral Cat Management Program has conducted the Trap-Neuter-Release program on the NMSU campus to help reduce the feral cat population.

About FCaMP

FCaMP has reduced the feral cat population from 200-250 to “somewhere to 95” cats on the NMSU main campus. If the cats are socialized, FCaMP helps them find homes, 90 cats have found a home so far.

The mission of the organization is to spay, neuter and vaccinate  felines on campus. Tipping the left ear of cats members have helped serves as identification.

FCaMP is a self-funded program; volunteers redeem aluminum cans and inkjet cartidges, accept private donations and host yard sales. The second week of November, they hosted a Butter Braid pastry holiday fundrasier. The money raised goes toward veterinary visits.

History of cats on campus

Before FCaMP was formed, groundskeepers from the university trapped cats to be taken to the animal shelter to be euthanized.

Feral cat enjoys its dinner outside the College of Business. (Photo by Sylvia Quintanilla)

“It’s a vacuum effect, remove cats from the area and others cats take their place,” said Michelle Corella, director of FCaMP.

Corella explained that through a combination of animals living in campus housing legally and illegally, some cats get left behind after the students leave, and those cats provided offspring.

However, many feral cats are dumped on campus. People see that the feral cats are fed and have access to water, but dumping cats at NMSU is a bad idea.

“Cats that are dumped have a hard time making their way on campus,” Corella said.

Strange cats that attempt to become familiar with the campus are not welcomed by the feral cats already on campus.

Aggies lending a helping hand

Fifteen active volunteers feed the feral cats.  Some feed everyday or during the week or just the weekends.

Pattyi Benzie, Accounting Department secretary, has been feeding the cats for five years. She feeds them in the morning and on her way home in the afternoon.

Benzie said that some people may not like the feral cats on campus since they don’t like cats, but added, “If you get rid of them more will just come back.  Why not take care of them?”

Mostly made up of NMSU staff, volunteers donate their own time and money to feed the cats. However, some Aggies have been feeding the cats before the formation of FCaMP.

“FCaMP turned the process more formal,” Corella said. “It’s taken a long time to find dedicated and trustworthy people.”

Turf war?

The ducks on Alumni Pond have been on campus for 18 years, and the current residents were born on the pond. The most recent numbers show that 45-55 ducks call the pond home.

Ducks come out from Alumni Pond to look for bugs. (Photo by Sylvia Quintanilla)

When the Alumni dorms existed, the feral cats that frequented the dorms would stalk the ducks.

Similar to FCaMP, a loose network of people within the Financial Aid, Administration and Housing departments look out for the ducks.

Jo Ruprecht, former faculty member, said every Spring, new ducklings and goslings are dropped off by owners thinking it is a safe place to leave them, however like the cats, there are predators such as owls that disturb the ducks.

Ruprecht credits the Chihuahuan Desert Wild Life Rescue in aiding on keeping the ducks safe on campus.

Visit FCaMP online for more information.