Whether it's the canteen, gym or lecture theatre - her territory is the campus. However, she misses the usual hustle and bustle here at the moment: campus cat Fındık.
Mr Holle, you are the owner of the campus cat. How did it come about that your cat became the campus cat?
We adopted her from a farm in 2018 and we live right next to the university. After she explored the garden, her radius expanded to include the campus. At some point, she also started entering university buildings. She became famous via the anonymous app Jodel. We sometimes posted search queries there. Other users post pictures there when they see the campus cat somewhere.
Everyone calls her Campus Cat, what's her real name?
Fındık. That means hazelnut in Turkish. It's the name for small, cuddly things. As my wife is Turkish, the cat was given this name.
Does Fındık take part in lectures?
If they take place on the ground floor, yes. She often enters the building via the balcony by certain education offices.
Does she have a favourite place at the university?
It changes: for a while, her favourite place was the psychologists' office, then the canteen. She thinks the gym is really cool - she goes there often.
Has Corona changed that?
The campus is her stomping ground, so she's still out and about here. But since the students have left and the gym is closed, she often wanders through the Haarenniederung.
Do you think she influences the mood of the people here?
I think animals generally have a calming effect. She puts a smile on everyone's face. Always the star of the moment. We have already heard from students that they play with Fındık before exams and that she takes away their anxiety.
Is there an exciting adventure from Fındık have?
After we went on holiday, she didn't turn up to eat. That makes you worry. Then we got a tip via Jodel that she was at the sports ground in Wechloy. We went there and she was sitting in the middle of the football pitch.
For all of us here, Fındık is part of the campus. I hope you're not planning to move away?
Even though I've recently stopped working at the university myself, we will remain loyal to the campus as neighbours, so Fındık will still be seen here often.
Interview: Lara Schäfer
