Since 2012, Harry, a cherished stray white and orange cat who roamed the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) campus, won the hearts of students and staff alike with his quirky, grouchy yet endearing personality. He made a significant impact on campus life, and when he disappeared in December 2024, his absence left the community deeply concerned.
Karen Williams, the treasurer of the Roadrunner Cat Coalition and a faculty member at UTSA, shared with MySA that Harry was known for rarely venturing far from his regular spots on campus. While he occasionally visited students’ dorm rooms, he maintained his life as an outdoor cat. The coalition had been caring for Harry since he was a 15-month-old kitten.
“The last time I saw him was December 12. It’s etched in my memory,” Williams recalled. “I had the evening feeding shift, and he was there on campus. Then, in the following days, we noticed he was missing, which was unusual, especially since it was the last week before the holiday break.”
For the past few months, the Roadrunner Cat Coalition, a volunteer faculty-staff organization that supports a spay-neuter, feeding, and adoption program for the campus’s stray cats, has been tirelessly searching for nearly 15-year-old Harry. The group distributed flyers, combed through bushes, and visited all of Harry’s favorite spots in hopes of finding him.
“I truly believe, in my heart, that someone took him,” Williams said. “Someone must have loved him so much that they brought him home. But, we may never know.”
Harry was so beloved that he had his own Instagram account, Harry aka Chap Cat, which boasts nearly 6,000 followers. Carolyn Campa, a UTSA alumna and the account’s owner, had been following Harry’s journey since 2017. She took over the account from a friend who had created it a couple of years prior.
Over the years, Campa received countless photos and fun stories from students and staff, sharing Harry’s adventures. When she learned of his disappearance, Campa spread the word far and wide but still has not received any updates on his whereabouts.
“He was such a special cat. People loved his sassy attitude — he’d let you know when he didn’t want to be touched,” Campa said. “But, he was also incredibly lovable and the friendliest cat among all the strays on campus.”
Manuel Bocanegra, a UTSA student, is organizing a celebration of life for Harry at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 6, at one of Harry’s favorite spots, the Chaparral Village Front Office. Bocanegra told MySA he wanted to create an opportunity for the UTSA community to share their memories and honor the impact Harry had on campus life.
“We called him the ‘grumpy old man,’ like those grandparents who pretend to be annoyed but secretly love having you around — that was Harry,” Bocanegra said. “He was a loving, supportive, and great community member.”
Williams noted that the celebration would offer closure for those who loved Harry. She mentioned seeing tributes on social media from people who had known him since 2012, as well as from individuals who never attended UTSA but were familiar with Harry’s story.
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