Kehinde Hopkins

Whisker Watch founder and president Ana Elisa Pereira feeds three stray cats on one of her nightly patrols.

The Texas Wesleyan community is ever-expanding.  

With record breaking freshmen classes and history-making enrollment sizes year-upon-year, the school has welcomed its sustained growth.  As the community broadens, the university has asserted its commitment to supporting each and every member. However, one subset of the community has long been neglected according to a group of students who have set out to remedy the inequity.  

The marginalized faction in question are not quite students nor are they even human; in fact, they’re furry, four-legged and feline.  

Whisker Watch is a student organization dedicated to feeding, bathing, protecting and taking care of the stray cats which call Texas Wesleyan home.

Senior music education major Ana Elisa Pereira, the organization’s founder and president, said that the stray cat problem was evident to her during her very first moments as a Texas Wesleyan student. During her first few weeks in Fall 2024, Pereira was struck by the sheer number of stray cats littered throughout campus. 

One critter in particular, a sickly tabby cat with emerald eyes, caught her heart. Pereira found the cat roaming the campus with neck injuries sustained from a BB gun, paws burnt by the hot summer concrete and parasitic worms in his digestive system.

After nursing him to health, taking him to the veterinarian and naming him ‘Jaguar’, Pereira adopted the cat. 

“After that I kept noticing cats on campus,” Pereira said. “Throughout the whole year I would see them around.” 

Growing up in a household with seven dogs, Pereira has always had a heart for animals. After adopting Jaguar, Pereira took it upon herself to feed as many cats as she could. Patrolling the campus every evening, Pereira provided the cats on campus with food, water, treats and affection.  

Eventually, Pereira began researching online how she could optimize her operation and prevent the stray cat issue from multiplying. That’s when she stumbled upon the Trap, Neuter, Release (TNR) method championed by animal rights advocates.

“You trap the cats, you take them to a facility or clinic where they neuter them and give them vaccines; then you release them out in the wild again because they’re feral, they can’t be house pets, they’re wild animals,” Pereira explained.  

Emboldened by a new path forward but intimidated by the obstacles that lay ahead, Pereira sought some help of her own.  

“I can’t do this by myself, ‘that’s a crazy thing; I already have a lot on my plate,” Pereira said. “I was thinking, ‘what if I just start a group as a student organization?’” 

The group’s first official meeting was held on Sept. 9 and was attended by 19 people. 

“So many people want to help. I feel like they just don’t know how,” Pereira said. 

The meeting went over the mission of the Whisker Watch and how to properly interact, feed and care for the cats. Open club officer positions were discussed, such as vice president and social media manager.

Afterwards, Pereira opened the floor for attendees to pitch possible future club events and activities — from holiday parties to cat shelter building for extreme weather. Pereira also outlined a cat feeding schedule that will be finalized once the organization’s committed members are clear. 

Junior music major Danielle Rector was among the attendees and reveled in the idea of translating the skills she learns with Whisker Watch to her own cat.  

“I have a cat myself and she’s spoiled; I buy her everything,” Rector said. “It’d be really nice to [learn to] create something that I’d usually buy at a PetSmart.” 

Amber Sulich, library services manager at West Library and Whisker Watch’s faculty adviser, praised Pereira’s tenacity

“She’s got that burning desire; that’s contagious in a group.” Sulich said. “I think she’s going to do great as a leader here.” 

What started out as a solo vigilante has grown into a dedicated brigade.  

“Everybody who I presented the idea to started laughing,” Pereira said. “I was like, ‘Somebody has to do it!’” 

Those interested in joining Whisker Watch can contact Pereira at [email protected]. Whisker Watch’s next meeting will be held Tuesday, Sept. 30 at 4:30 p.m. in EJW 214.