University libraries and their cats

There’s a special association between cats and libraries – which seems to be particularly marked with university libraries.

At the University of Nottingham we have the very lovely Bertie who seems to have a wonderful time both in the stacks and lounging around outside the Hallward.

Cambridge University has a rather unusual feline resident in its library – Jasper is a three-legged cat who seems to be a big hit with staff and students alike.

But the biggest hit on the feline university library front is Edinburgh University Library’s cat. Not only is he a very popular member of the university but, rather improbably, he has a book out:

Library Cat – the resident cat of Edinburgh University Library – is not like other cats. He is a thinking cat. You can tell by the canny glint in his eye, his arched, disdainful whiskers and his unrelenting interest in books and piles of paper.
This is Library Cat’s story. Join him on the adventures he takes when he leaves his favourite turquoise chair in the library and his favourite food (bacon-rind) behind to go out into the big, bad world. Meet his cousins Biblio Chat and Saaf Landan Tom. Hold your breath during his brief encounter with the elusive Puddle Cat and his run-in with the terrifying and mysterious Black Dog.
This is principally the story of Library Cat’s search for meaning in a seemingly meaningless world. But it’s about us Humans, too. You see, with his black and white head bobbing a foot off the ground, Library Cat has seen us Humans from a very different angle. And he thinks we have it all wrong…

There are quite a few other university library cats too, such as this one at Sussex, who turns out to be owned by the local MP Caroline Lucas who ‘fessed up recently that he was one of 30 (!) she looks after.

And then there is Pebbles at Essex University who has his own student ID card in the name of Campus Cat

Here’s Pep who is a regular at the library of the University of Regensburg in Germany, and then we have Rolf who is a frequent visitor to many different parts of the Warwick University campus.

At Texas A&M University you can find Miko who is officially described as Pest Control Specialist. She is also, somewhat less officially, the libraries’ mascot and occasional model

There are many other non-university cat library inhabitants too – Wikipedia has a comprehensive listing of library cats, because of course it does.

Does your library have a feline inhabitant?