CATNAPPED
Sophia Isely|Staff Writer
Tad has disappeared for the second time this year
Whether he has been catnapped or gotten lost somewhere around Conway, Tad has gone missing for the second time this school year. If you are new to the Hendrix community, Tad is one of the most popular cats that lives in Hendrix’s cat colony. He is a treat-loving, friendly, Cheeto-orange, chunky boy that has even been deemed the “Mayor of Hendrix.” On an afternoon at the beginning March, Tad did not show up for dinner. If you know literally anything about this cat, it is probably that he is obsessed with food. The only time I have personally seen him pass up dinner was when he returned to campus after his first catnapping. This was only because all of the people on campus were so ecstatic to see him back that they bombarded him with so many treats that he physically could not fit his dinner in his belly. This being said, the Hendrix cat lovers were immediately suspicious about his whereabouts when we all heard he was not present for dinner. Unfortunately, it has been over a month, and we have still not heard any news about where Tad is now. For those of us who adore Tad and all of the other campus cats, the lack of Tad on campus feels like there is a part of the Hendrix spirit missing. It almost seems silly to say that losing Tad feels like an emotional hole in the hearts of many of us, but he is a big part of our lives—just like any other pet would be. It is even harder to comprehend this time around because we have no idea or closure as to what has happened to him. There was no note and no trace of him, and he just “vanished like Amelia Earhart,” to put it in the words of a fellow Hendrix student. Although this abrupt time of Tad being missing has been difficult for Hendrix students and faculty, it has perhaps been worse for one of the other campus cats, Tadpole. As his name suggests, it is believed that he is Tad’s son. This being said, Tad and Tadpole are the best of pals; they often even sleep together during the night. Now that Tad is gone, many students have reported hearing Tadpole crying out of loneliness. If pushing a cat to a state of melancholy is not a motivation to make you want to find Tad, I am not sure what else would be. It also needs to be reestablished that there is no reason that any of the cats should be removed from campus. This is their home, and I know for certain that Darryl Manes, the primary caretaker of the Hendrix Cat Colony, will always want the best for the campus cats. His efforts often go unnoticed, but he does a truly fantastic job ensuring that the cats are all healthy and happy. I can personally testify that the cats are taken care of just as well as (perhaps even better than) anyone’s pet cat. Tad and the other cats actively choose to stay at Hendrix, and this is the place they know
Photo by Rebecca Burks as home. Even when Darryl took Tad to his home off campus for two days during the snowstorm this winter, he said Tad cried the whole time. He is not meant to be confined inside a house, and it is easy to tell that he genuinely enjoys living at Hendrix. His days are filled with basking in the sun, getting tons of pets from all of his student human friends, and a multitude of treats to accompany his wet and dry food. All of this being said, anyone who is close to the cats can testify that they live their lives however they enjoy. And for Tad, this means drowning himself in a sea of treats and attention. Maybe someone has accidentally taken Tad again or perhaps he has merely gotten lost in the roundabouts of Conway, but either way, please contact Darryl Manes at manes@hendrix.edu if you have seen Tad anywhere or have any ideas of where he may be. If you or someone you know has taken Tad, we ask that you please return him. There would be no hard feelings or repercussions if someone decides to willingly bring him back to campus. Tad is a part of our Hendrix family, and things simply do not feel the same without him.
APRIL 2021
9
