What is Cat Alliance Trinity?
Cat Alliance Trinity is an official student organization that cares for all free-roaming cats on the Trinity University campus—both stray and feral—by feeding, neutering, vaccinating, and providing veterinary care for our feline friends. We are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and an all-volunteer group of faculty, staff, students, and neighbors. C.A.T. keeps a registry of cats on campus and we comply with TNR protocol. This means that whenever a "new" cat is identified on campus, it is: humanely trapped, transported to a veterinarian for neutering, vaccination, and ear tipping, and then returned to campus. Along with taking care of any new cats to campus C.A.T. also maintains a colony of cats who all call Trinity their home. Our volunteers feed cats in the Trinity colony year-round, this includes during university holidays and breaks.
A Local Leader
Trinity University was the first college campus in San Antonio to implement a Trap-Neuter-Return program for cats. The Cat Alliance has served as a mentor for programs at several other college campuses in the city.
Trinity’s Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) Program
Caring for New Cats
CAT keeps a registry of cats on campus. Whenever a "new" cat is identified, it is:
- Humanely trapped
- Transported to a veterinarian for neutering, vaccination, and ear tipping
- Returned to campus
A tipped ear is a nationally-recognized indicator that a feral cat has been neutered and is part of a managed colony. Please note that several of our neutered cats did not receive an ear tip at the time of their surgery.
Adoption Policy
An exception to the standard approach to new cats applies to kittens found at a very young age or to extremely tame strays. The Cat Alliance is sometimes able to find homes for these adoptable animals.
Caring for the Cat Colony
Established colonies tend to repel new cats, which helps stabilize the population.
The Cat Alliance feeds Trinity’s cats year round. Students handle most of the feeding during the school year, whereas faculty, staff, and friends feed the cats during summer break and University holidays.
OUR FELINE FRIENDS
Meet the Cats
This listing of cats is current as of February 2023. Any and all cats on campus—whether old friends or new arrivals—are considered to be part of the CAT program.
Art Station
Sam showed up on campus spring of 2021. He is skittish at first, but once you sit down, he'll approach you and take as many pets as you're willing to give.
Teddy arrived in Fall of 2022 and quickly made friends with his companion Sam. He will circle curious students, rubbing against your legs in the hopes of scoring a belly rub. Teddy also has skin allergies which are regularly treated by members of CAT.
Beze Station
Dit is one of Trinity’s senior citizens, born sometime around 2005 in a litter of all black cats! She takes awhile to warm up to people, but once she does, she really loves to have her chin scratched. She has an ear notch, the sign which indicated fixed cats before ear tipping became the national standard.
Trinity appeared at Beze in about 2014. He loves students, and misses them terribly during holidays or long absences. He is afraid of Dit, who is sometimes grumpy. He likes to adopt a Beze room each year, hoping students will let him in to stay cool or warm in difficult weather. Sometimes students build “cat houses” for him on their balconies.
Murchison Station
Felix was born at Murchison in 2010. His usual hangout is Cardiac Hill, where he greets all friendly passersby and can sometimes be coaxed to do a high-five
Tigger appeared early in 2022 when he was just a little kitten and immediately took a liking to Felix. You may see him while walking up and down Cardiac Hill, but he'll only accept pets when he's getting fed. Skittish and fast, this little boy can easily be mistaken for Calvert-mascot Jett!
Isabel Station
Jupiter is a sweet boy, having arrived at Trinity in 2015. Previous resident of the Isabel station Riker and him were close friends. When you stop by, make sure to brush his fur––he loves it!
Tortie (short for Tortellini) is our newest official Trinicat! She has been on campus since the spring of 2022 but was too skittish for anyone to get near her until very recently. She is missing two toes on one of her paws and takes a while to warm up to students!
Marrs McLean Station
Flora and Fiona are sisters and were born under the Marrs McLean building in 2012. They began life so feral that the Cat Alliance was not sure if they could be fed. However, rumors began to spread about a man who walked his dog through campus every day and how the cats would run out to greet the dog and rub on her. Sure enough, Trinity University’s neighbor Richard and his dog Abbey managed to completely tame the sisters, and they still meet up regularly!
Calvert Station
Jett has been the unofficial Miller-Calvert mascot since about 2009. He loves to relax in the Calvert lounge, and usually selects one student each year to “adopt” him.
North Station
Marble was dropped off on the campus in spring 2021 along with a former Trinicat. She is shy and sweet, and waits for all the other cats to eat before she comes for a meal. Marble is also quite the acrobat and enjoys climbing the canopy of trees nearby the station.
Riker is the "Number One" of this station, with both a fluffy tail and face. He is extremely loving, and likes to have the stickers brushed from his fur. He appeared on campus in 2017.
Rambo appeared at Trinity in the spring of 2020. He came with a severe injury. Though the Cat Alliance tended to him, he has some permanent damage that makes it difficult for him to eat. He was very skittish at first, but has gradually warmed up to humans and is now best pals with Riker.
Police Station
Biggy appeared in 2019. He is—not surprisingly—big, and also very loving. At breakfast time he can’t decide whether to eat or get petted. He usually opts for pets. He loves to follow one of our neighbors on her walk around the lower campus track.
Prassel Garage
Sage appeared in the fall of 2021 and quickly settled into the Prassel Garage hutch. She enjoys lounging on and under cars, and has the cutest little meow!
SHOW YOUR LOVE
Volunteer and Support
You are invited to join the Cat Alliance and work with Trinity’s beloved Trinicats. If you are interested in finding out more about volunteer and support opportunities, please contact CAT.
Donations
If you would like to donate to our cause, please click the button below!
General Volunteer Positions
Feeders
Help feed the campus cats! Feeders usually feed one station, once or twice per week, with food provided by the Cat Alliance. This is an easy and fun way to get involved, and is popular with students, faculty, and staff alike.
The Cat Alliance holds an informational meeting for new feeders at the beginning of each school year, and a feeding schedule is made at that time.
Summertime and Break Feeders
Since CAT feeds the cats every day of the year, feeders are needed during the summer and holidays, when most students are away from campus. If you want to help feed the cats but can't commit to an entire semester, these shortened shifts might be perfect for you. Email us for more information.
Fundraiser Table Workers
The Cat Alliance holds fundraisers on campus twice a year: in October (t-shirts) and April (Fiesta medals, a San Antonio tradition). You can help by taking a turn tabling.
The work is easy and does not require a big time commitment, though it does offer a great opportunity to meet other members of CAT.
Other Support Opportunities
Contact
Please contact the Cat Alliance for any issues concerning identifying cats, sick or injured cats, cats needing rescue (in trees, on roofs, etc), cats in traps, or sighting of new cats or kittens.
Emergency Contact
For emergencies, call Mindy Morales at 210-478-9459.
If you cannot reach her, please call TUPD's non-emergency line at 210-999-7070.
Do not call the City of San Antonio Animal Care Services (ACS) or 311.