Photo Credit: GMU Korea Catriots
Catriots is a new Registered Student Organization (RSO) at George Mason University Korea, which was established this Spring, that aims to promote the wellbeing of stray cats that roam in and around the Incheon Global Campus (IGC).
“The mission of this organization shall be to promote and provide for the wellbeing of the cats around the George Mason University Korea campus and local animal shelters,” the RSO’s page in the Mason Korea website reads.
Kieun Kwon, the president of the Catriots, vividly remembers the time she first fell in love with cats. Growing up, Kwon wasn’t a fan of cats so much as she was of dogs. Naturally, when a good friend of hers one day insisted that they go to a cat cafe together, she was reluctant.
“My friend was like, ‘Cats are cute, let’s go,’” Kwon recalled. “I was like, ‘Cats?’ I was very cautious about it. But once I started going, I went again, again, and again. They’re really cute, and whenever they do come to you, it feels like you’ve been chosen. After that, I actually did end up taking in a cat of my own. When I was back over in the States, my parents called it my emotional support animal. He is part of the family now.”
Unfortunately, many stray cats at IGC are faced with serious health and safety concerns. A close look at them can reveal many cats showing symptoms such as malnutrition. One of the Catriots’ goals is to raise awareness of such problems.
“When you walk outside and you’re like, ‘Oh I feel really cold’ or ‘Oh I’m hungry,’ simple things that would make yourself uncomfortable, you have to think these animals would definitely also be feeling the same thing but probably have less ability to change that for themselves,” said Victoria Parra, Events Manager of the Catriots.
There is already a similar club at the State University of New York (SUNY) Korea campus, and Catriots is hoping to collaborate with them to become an IGC club in the future.
“Organizing some kind of IGC organization is another step we have to take so we’re not overfeeding the cats or overstepping each other’s boundaries. We are looking forward to working with other cat clubs and, with our resources combined, that’ll be better overall for the cats and our clubs,” said LJ Haider, the Financial Director of Catriots.
Catriots have a lot planned, including volunteering at a local animal shelter, setting up feeding stations to ensure that the cats do not have to starve or dig into people’s trash, and performing trap-neuter-release (TNR) to control the population. Of course, with the mere 100,000 won budget they have been provided by GMUK’s Office of Student Affairs, Catriots will have to rely greatly on fundraising, something that will require much enthusiasm from the students. Regardless, with the Catriots on campus, the cats we share spaces with will have a dedicated group to ensure they are properly taken care of.
Philip Kim, Staff Writer
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