SONGDO INTERNATIONAL campus, the home of incoming Yonsei freshmen, shelters numerous cat families. At first glance, they seem to be such antipathic creatures, but with their little quirks, they have successfully captivated Yonseians’ hearts. An interesting co-dependent relationship has been built between the students and the cats: while cats rely on students for food and shelter, students rely on the cats to play and de-stress. Why not take a look at the unusual interaction of Yonseians and Songdo cats? 

A cat’s paradise behind the Veritas D building

   When strolling around the campus, you may find a trail of bowls amongst buildings’ shadows. These bowls are always overflowing with scrumptious food, routinely filled by the Yon-nyang-shim club[1]. Following the trail of bowls, you arrive at the cats’ paradise: a wide staircase behind Veritas D, one of Songdo’s lecture buildings. 

   Behind the building hides a stream of blankets, cat toys, and catteries. The space is the cats’ haven where they take refuge from the rain, cold winds, and irritating students. Next to the staircase, a sidewalk leads to an open space of greenery. It is the cats’ favorite spot: they love to laze under the sun with their fur rubbing on the grass. When it is too hot, the bushes nearby become the perfect spot. 

   Nine cats live together in this “Cat’s Paradise.” As stray cats rarely live together in groups, such a rare formation of clowder indicates that the Songdo cats’ behaviors were altered by the students’ presence and the provision of safe shelter.

Meet the cats

   The nine cats living in “Cat’s Paradise” all have different physical traits, habits, and personalities. Among these nine cats, some do have an official name, but many students have different names for each that they keep to themselves. Let’s take a closer look at the three iconic cats living near Veritas D, No-eul, Lemon, and Pepper. 

No-eul

   Just like all felines, most Songdo cats are wary of people, but No-eul, makes for a charming exception. No-eul has a unique black, orange, and white coat, and beady green eyes. As you make eye contact, No-eul might carefully approach, meow, rub his head against you, and allow you to pet him. As the clowder’s boss, he is always calm and brave. Unlike others, No-eul does not shy away from danger. Instead, he curiously searches for the source of any frightening sounds, carefully calculating his next action. When danger approaches, he is the last to hide and first to come out, and the other cats know to trust No-eul’s instinct. Not to mention, he loves to play with feather wands that are placed by the cat houses; however, as the eldest, he often lets other cats go first.  

Lemon

   Lemon, a cat with yellow spots and white fur, is the playful one of the bunch. His eyes glow with curiosity, and his twitching tail reflects his inquisitive nature. Lemon has no problem playing by himself: he likes to chase the rolling leaves, roll in the dirt, and take sand baths underneath the trees. This energetic fellow is also the first one to run away when people approach, leaving his friends behind. Due to his cowardly nature, most of his curiosity is left unsolved: he much prefers to run away instead of risking it to collect answers. But sometimes curiosity overrules his instinct. Once, he mistook dangling earphones as a toy and approached a student while she was taking a picture with other cats. He sniffed them and tried to snatch them, so be careful with your earphones when the cats are around!

Pepper

   Pepper is the clowder’s diva, as he “wears” a unique orange and grey patterned coat. Other than making him the center of attention, his fur has practical use; during the winter days, he can perfectly camouflage in the dirt. Pepper loves to interact with people and is always looking for someone to entertain him with feather wands. He would jump and run to catch the target, and once he snatches the target, he never lets it go. Time flies when you start to play with him or watch him passionately chase down the target. 

A day in the life of the cats

   After lounging around a few hours in the sun, cats make their way to the nearest feeding station where they can find refreshing bowls of water and food. Sometimes, the cats get to enjoy special treats such as churu[2] or canned food prepared by students. 

   After following students around for A-class meals, the cats return to the shade and start their grooming routine. The younger energetic kittens will play by themselves, chasing fallen leaves, digging up dirt, or roaming around the campus, while the older cats prepare to take a nap. 

   When a loud noise interrupts the tranquility or if a stranger approaches at a fast speed, they will hide inside a hole that has been dug near the sidewalk. Up to four cats can crawl up and hide in this secret passage. Some even snatch their favorite cat toys and hide it in the secret passage. 

Yonseians’ interaction with cats

   Yonsei students attest that their study breaks are animated by the cats. Watching them nap or groom themselves calms their nerves. In an interview with The Yonsei Annals, Felicia Budiman (Jr., UIC, Life Science & Biotech.) told, “When we had benches around Veritas, my friends and I would buy cat food and lure the cats to sit with us while we studied. I love them and they are great de-stressors. I hope to see more of them this semester!” 

   Another interviewee, Jang Yu-jin (Fresh., Dept. of Economics) shared, “When I hang around the campus, I often see people taking pictures of the cats with a smile on their faces. Their bright smiles assure that the cats are bringing great joy to the campus.” 

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   Over time, Songdo cats have become the Songdo campus’ unofficial mascot, beloved by the students, faculty, and staff members. Though they may have started as noisy intruders, they have now become friends of Yonseians.

[1] Yon-nyang-shim: A school club that focuses on improving the quality of lives of the cats living within the school. 

[2] Churu: A tasty, lick-able cat treat that was first created by a Japanese company.