Tiny Tim

Trinicat Profile
Name: Tiny Tim
Location: Storch Tennis Courts
Features: Small build, bony, long gray fur, very shy, serious demeanor

Photo taken by Ian Churnin

Many people may recognize the name Tiny Tim from Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol", who was a very ill young boy who despite all of his misfortunes in life, was remarkable gracious and had one of the biggest hearts. It is not a coincidence that the Trinity cat who can most often be found sitting in between Storch and the tennis courts has this name, he shares many of those same characteristics as the little boy in that classic tale. The story goes that our Tiny Tim too had an unfortunate skin disease; however, unlike the little boy, he was lucky enough to receive treatment. The effect of this treatment led to a some loss in hair. Considering that his hair was already pretty thin and his bony stature, many shied away from this poor feline. His serious facial expressions as he observes Trinity students led to many circulating rumors. Such rumors include being possessed, evil, or even a zombie cat, but these are just silly presumptions that have no validity. Tiny Tim has a heart of gold and is just a little misunderstood.

The first time I saw Tiny Tim was last year, as I spotted him crawling out of a drainage pipe coming from the tennis courts. As you might expect, I was shocked and a little disturbed by what I saw. I had to ask myself, "What did I just see?" But as I became more familiar with Tiny Tim, I had discovered his unfortunate history. I also found out that he is a veteran Trinity cat, having been here as early as 2005. But don't fret too much about his lack of fur, his fur is longer than ever now as he continues to recover from what once was a terrible sickness. In the end, Tiny Tim is a wonderful cat who enjoys the simple things in life, like sleeping, eating, watching tennis, and scaring freshman. He is grateful for everyday and everyone around him. So next time you pass by him, don't be scared or worried, just smile and say "Hey Tiny Tim!" because despite his shyness, he loves the attention.

Tiny Tim by Ian Churnin is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Bearington Cat

Trinicat Profile
Name: Bearington "Bear" Cat
Location: Isabel/South Walkway
Features: Large build, brown Tabby, tail full of prickly seeds, very friendly

Permission of use by Karen Totino

For my first blog entry, I chose to talk about one of the most recent Trinity stray cats that I have had the pleasure of meeting. Bearington Cat, who goes by Bear or Bear Cat, is the largest of the cats that I have encountered in my 2-plus years at Trinity. Don't get me wrong, he is not an overweight cat, but appears to descend from a larger breed of feline. His unique size and demeanor is the origin of his name, as he is definitely a "Bear" of a cat. Do not be fooled, Bear is not a ferocious creature nor one to fear; he is the most outgoing cat on campus in my opinion. He loves being pet and talked to and will embrace the hand of anyone who passes by. One unique characteristic of bear Cat is his tail, which is full of tiny prickly seeds that he lays in throughout the day. The reason for this hoarding of prickly seeds is currently unknown, but some believe he uses his armored tail as a weapon when hunting unsuspecting vermin.
 

Karen and Bear

I first met Bear Cat this year, when my girlfriend and I were walking from her dorm (Isabel) to mine (Lightner). There he was, lounging on the walkway, making his presence known. But unlike most of the cats on campus, Bear showed no fear whatsoever. Instead, bear heard our greetings and sauntered over to us, walking figure-eights around us as we pet him. Once it was time to make our way, Bear decided to keep us company, walking with us nearly all the way to the Lightner door. Our friendship with Bear has only grown since, in fact, just last night Bear was nice enough to sit in my girlfriend's lap as we pet him (see photo on right). Bear is a fantastic cat and if you are lucky enough to cross his path, your day will definitely be brightened.



Bear & Karen by Ian Churnin is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.