Niagara College’s coolest cat is on the prowl
Niagara College has a new cat who’s ready to scout around the greenhouse.
In January, a stray cat was spotted at the Welland campus and was brought to the greenhouse. On Feb. 18, the cat officially received a name.
The college ran a contest for members of the public to submit names and received over 1,800 suggestions. After a shortlist was made by greenhouse staff, the final choice was made by outgoing college president Dr. Dan Patterson and his wife.
The two ultimately decided on Scout.
The college’s new feline resident is also viewed as a top recruiting agent.
“When we have high schools visiting and they see the cat, they just go crazy,” said Teri Sherwood, horticulture technician with the greenhouse.
In 2016, the college started a Basil Bursary named after its former cat. The $500 bursary for students saw money raised through the sale of Basil key chains and T-shirts with his face on it.
Matt Orr, greenhouse grounds manager, expects a similar bursary could be started under Scout’s name in the near future.
Taking care of Scout requires a full college community effort with donations from staff, retirees and alumni helping pay for vet bills, toys and other needs.
“He’s become the welcoming committee,” said Sherwood. “We have so many people come to the greenhouse to meet him.”
The greenhouse, located on the Niagara-on-the-Lake campus, went approximately six months without a cat after the passing of Basil in July 2019. The orange tabby had been with them since 2003.
Scout is still in the process of getting comfortable in the greenhouse, but seems to be the perfect fit.
Sherwood said Scout is multitalented and fills many purposes. The cat serves as a therapy animal students can visit at any time, unless a class is going on.
“He’s our therapy cat, but once he gets a bit more familiar with the outdoors, and if we do have a population of mice in the greenhouse, he’ll be taking care of that,” said Sherwood.
An orange tabby like his predecessor, Scout will hold the title of Integrated Pest Management — managing any pest control needs the greenhouse has.