Feb. 11, 2026 | Abbi Duhart | News Editor
During Fall term and the beginning of Winter term this school year, students living in Arbor Park reported seeing an orange and white cat wandering around the area. The cat was very friendly, meowing and nuzzling up against anyone who came close. He had no collar or tag of any sort, with the exception of a tag saying “looking for a home” that was on him for a short period of time. It is unclear what happened to this tag.
After noticing his appearance at Arbor Park for a couple of weeks, many students started to give him food and bring him inside, assuming he didn’t have a home or needed food and shelter. He very willingly entered the buildings and let students pick him up and snuggle him. Though it’s unclear where the name came from, many students started calling him “Big Mac,” thus giving the cat his unofficial name.
On Jan. 13, Resident Director Maya Guerra sent an email to all students living in Arbor Park, reminding them of the housing contract they signed, stating that residents feeding and harboring stray animals is a violation; Guerra also added, “Leaving out beds and food is prohibited and will be removed if found. This is my last email regarding this situation. If I find it again, I will proceed with the $150 fine.”
Many students were upset with this response, believing that the cat either didn’t have a home or had neglectful owners and needed the resources. Rosie Paris, a resident of Arbor Park, said, “I was really disappointed by our school’s guidelines. I understand that we can’t have him in the buildings, but their decision to fine us over 100 dollars seemed really cruel. They were gonna fine us if we continued giving him food or shelter.” Paris explained, too, that she was told Big Mac had a home, but the owner wouldn’t let him inside, and said, “I’m pretty doubtful they fed him well.”
Recently, Big Mac was adopted and now has a new home no longer on campus. Allegedly, a resident of Arbor Park living in Spruce Hall messaged in the hall group chat for the building, explaining they set Big Mac up for adoption and later let everyone else know that he was officially adopted. Addressing this, Paris, agreeing with many other students, said, “He was such a sweetie, and I’m so happy he got adopted … I miss him honestly, but I’m happy he got a home.”
Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu
