The beloved cat has once again won students’ hearts
By RIVERS STOUT — features@theaggie.org
Cheeto the famous orange cat has won the best campus animal category for the third year in a row, receiving 42.9% of the vote. The cat just keeps coming back. With a soothing presence and relaxed demeanor, students seeking a little bit of comfort while on campus can find him lying by the physics building, waiting for attention.
With his own Instagram page of over 11.8k followers, Cheeto has time and time again proven himself to be the most beloved animal on campus, beating the horses, turkeys, ducks, squirrels and more.
“I think Cheeto the cat is a nice little critter here on campus,” Nataly Barreto, a first-year biological sciences major, said.
Barreto frequently visits Cheeto just for the joy of seeing him.
“With so many animals present, like cows and turkeys, it’s nice to have an animal who won’t attack you,” Barreto said. “Whenever I catch a glimpse of him it feels like I just saw Bigfoot. I’m always trying to take photos and I practically freeze when I see Cheeto.”
He can be found near the physics building, in its shared parking lot with Mrak and King Hall, and he is always eager for pets.
Barreto shared their first memory of Cheeto.
“The first time I saw Cheeto was biking late at night,” Berrato said. “Seeing Cheeto made me crash into my friend’s bike — he’s like a mystical being.”
Mystical being he is. He is a cat many students know of and are elated to see.
“Cheeto is the sweetest most friendly cat I’ve met,” Aspen Valenzuela, a first-year biotechnology major, said. “He always lets you pet him.”
With a slightly cut ear, Cheeto may have the appearance of not being well taken care of, however, he’s doing well for himself — if not too well. One sign at the physics building explains that while people may worry for Cheeto, he’s actually cared for by student organizations and the UC Davis Veterinary School, and does not need any feeding, according to the UC Davis Magazine.
When asked for a comment on yet another win, Cheeto did not respond, opting to continue resting.
“Meow,” Cheeto said from his bed of wood mulch.
Written by: Rivers Stout — features@theaggie.org
