Meet Rolf: the Campus Cat

I can't mention Warwick without introducing our furry friend and university celebrity! 😸

Video by BBC Midlands:

This is Rolf. He is our beloved Campus cat at the University of Warwick. Rolf received his well-earned official ID card on his 3rd birthday on the 20th December last year!

Nope - he doesn't belong to the university, but to local residents Helen and Rob. They first realised that Rolf was visiting campus when students kept calling the number on his collar thinking that he was lost! Really, he was just happily exploring campus.

@RolfatWarwick on Twitter

@RolfatWarwick on Twitter

Now he's an internationally recognised cat, with thousands of Twitter followers!
Rolf's human parents provide daily updates on what Rolf has been up to and the tweets never fail to put a smile on our faces every morning.

Rolf has even featured in an exhibition at the University Museum Groningen in the Netherlands, aimed at showcasing campus cats from around the world.

In addition to comfortably establishing lecturer Claudia's office in the Department of Economics as his home away from home, Rolf is known to sneak through tiny gaps of the windows of student accommodations and has evenbeen known to take the lift up to top floors of buildings, as well as making his way through automatic doors!

Clearly he is one curious and ambitious cat!

Despite his desire to go out and explore, there is one thing that may stop Rolf on his adventures... The 'Neighbourhood Terror Cat' (there's always one!). However, Rolf often gets lifts to campus to avoid him crossing major roads, so that's one solution!


Check out Rolfs' adventures here:
@RolfatWarwick

@RolfatWarwick on Twitter

But how do they know what Rolf has been up to?

• Students and staff at Warwick enjoy sharing their encounters with him on social media. It's also a way of letting Rolf's owners know that he is safe and happily roaming.

• Rolf has a GPS collar (the wonders of modern technology). He truly is a wonder cat, roaming for several kilometres a day!
  
  

Sometimes Campus Security even gives him a lift back home. Talk about living the life of Cat Royalty!

Students and staff alike love having Rolf around and it's always a joy to bump into him.


*Unfortunately Rolf was hit by a van on Campus a few weeks ago, so his adventures have had to be postponed whilst his hip is healing. Nevertheless, some of his campus friends pay him visits now and then, which he thoroughly enjoys (until the have to leave 😿), and he has been receiving many get well wishes cards from the public. YouTube has also kept him entertained to, so if anyone has any recommendations, let him know!

There's only a few of weeks left to go, Rolfie! 

Hang in there - your 'Prison Diaries' will be over soon and you will be back on campus before we know it. ☺️

Thank you to Helen for the photos of Rolf and his roaming map. 

*UPDATES:

Rolf is now back on Campus. Since then he has been the face of Warwick Library's #RolfSaysRelax Study Happy campagin to encourage students to take time off and look after themselves during exam time and won the Special Recognition, Freedom of the Campus Award in the University end of year award!

He also has his own personalised hi-vest jackets to keep him visable and now has his own Instagram and Facebook pages to!