Paws on campus: How students care for their feline community

Does your school have cats? I imagine campuses around the world are home to free-roaming cats — and ZJU is no exception. Here, students have taken the initiative to establish animal welfare clubs dedicated to the care and management of the campus cat community.

On one hand, student volunteers provide communal cat shelters and food stations to ensure the cats are well-fed and sheltered. The club also organizes vaccination drives and, where appropriate, spaying and neutering programs. Vaccinations help safeguard the health of the cats themselves, while also protecting the wellbeing of students and staff by minimizing the risk of transmission of illness. Spaying and neutering, meanwhile, serves multiple purposes rooted in compassion: it helps prevent reproductive health issues in the cats — particularly relevant for those that are domesticated breeds found living outdoors, for whom pregnancy and birth can pose serious health risks such as uterine infections. It also helps maintain a sustainable cat population, given that finding loving adoptive homes for every cat is not always possible. Additionally, cats that have been neutered or spayed tend to have calmer temperaments, which helps ensure harmonious and safe interactions with students and staff.

At the Zhijiang Campus, the Zhijiang Cat Club has gone a step further — designing and selling their own creative merchandise, with all proceeds directed toward the regular feeding, veterinary check-ups, and medical care of the campus cats.

The cats have become a beloved part of daily campus life, their endearing presence bringing warmth and joy to all. That said, a gentle reminder: while the cats are vaccinated and treated for parasites, we do encourage everyone to admire them from a respectful distance, as they are free-roaming cats living in an outdoor environment rather than domestic pets raised in a home setting.

Next time you visit Zhijiang, why not stop by our merchandise booth? We'd love to see you there!