Who feeds the cat that roams the back of the Arts and Sciences building?

Students taking VCP or photography courses may have spotted a tabby cat hiding in the woods behind the Arts and Sciences building. According to Lisa Reynolds, Cecil’s Student Life Coordinator, the cat’s name is Buckwheat, and has been on campus for several years.

Buckwheat has had multiple litters that students and faculty have taken home, but the last one was in 2015. Since then, former faculty member Dr. Diane Lane managed to catch Buckwheat and take her to the vet to be spayed and vaccinated. There are other cats that come and go on campus, but Buckwheat is the only consistent tenant of Cecil College.

Cathy Skelley, Director of College Life, said she sometimes brings in extra cat food from home to put outside, but most of the credit goes to Lisa and Agnes, two of the custodians in the Arts and Sciences building.

While Buckwheat may be an adorable mainstay on campus, Abigail Bingham from Cecil County Animal Services warns about the potential dangers of interacting with feral cats. She states that “While community cats are cute, it is best to avoid handling them. These animals are rabies vectors and without knowledge of a rabies vaccine history, there is no way to tell if this animal has been vaccinated or potentially exposed to rabies.”

Bingham instructs those who know of a cat in need to, “call the shelter hotline. We have several programs to help cats including our adoption program for friendly and adoptable cats, a barn cat program for semi-feral cats, and a TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) program for cats that have an outside area to call home. We assess all cats behaviorally, medically, and provide them with vaccines as well as spay and neuter surgery. We operate with a ‘no-kill’ philosophy and are here to help.”

You can reach the Cecil County Animal Services at 410-441-2040.

*Image pictured is not Buckwheat.