This post was updated Feb. 25 at 9:17 p.m.

Oreo, a black-and-white stray cat frequently seen roaming around Delta Terrace, was found dead in early February.

Oreo was part of a small network of stray cats cared for by student members of Hill Cats at UCLA, a club that monitors feral cats on the Hill. Oreo, known for his shy personality and appearances in the Delta Terrace garden, was a familiar but elusive presence for students, said Alina Barlow, president of Hill Cats at UCLA.

“Oreo was the sneaky one … He was always hiding, and he always ran away,” said Gloria Wu, a first-year molecular, cell and developmental biology student. “After a few months, maybe we would even be able to pet him. He was finally coming out of his shell and trusting people more.”

Powell Cat – another stray cat who roamed UCLA’s campus – lived near Powell Library and Kaufman Hall for about eight years until they died in 2023. A statue commemorating Powell Cat, who was known as UCLA’s unofficial mascot, was installed in Kerckhoff Hall in August.

[Related: Statue commemorates Powell Cat’s legacy, honors campus wildlife]

Barlow said she felt a strong connection to Oreo despite his shyness. Oreo’s closed-off personality made it a challenge for volunteers to approach the cat, earning him nicknames like “Bigfoot,” Anthony Jimenez-Tostado, a food distributor for Hill Cats, added.

Jimenez-Tostado said he also gave Oreo the title “King of the Stairs” because he would often sit on the staircase near the Delta Terrace garden.

“People want to make sure they’re (stray cats on the Hill) healthy, and they love visiting them, even after class,” said Barlow, a third-year economics student. “We love visiting the cats to help them destress. People have also bonded together around the cats and caring for them.”

Oreo formed close bonds with those who visited and cared for him, said Devon May, the founder of Hill Cats at UCLA. Wu said Oreo eventually warmed up, adding that he once ate his food directly from the bowl she provided – something he typically avoided when people were nearby.

Barlow said news of Oreo’s death quickly spread beyond current members and students – with UCLA alumni reaching out to current club members in support of Oreo.

“It was very heartwarming to see how many people cared about a cat that was never really petted by them because he was feral,” May, a UCLA alumnus, said. “It was very heartwarming to see how many people still cared and wanted to take care of him even though he was scared.”

Caring for the cats involves more than just feeding them, Barlow said. She added that student volunteers make a constant effort to buy food and bowls for the cats, as well as coordinate schedules for about 70 feeders.

Ximena Cruz-Flores, a food distributor for Hill Cats at UCLA, said she believes increased wildlife activity around the Hill – including by Sage Hill, or “Narnia” – have made the cats more vulnerable.

“A lot of animals have been trying to domesticate themselves for a while, but they’re coming in closer and closer from Narnia,” said Cruz-Flores, a second-year nursing student. “Some of them are already in Narnia, but they’re intimidating the other animals.”

Barlow said members of Hill Cats at UCLA are now planning a memorial for Oreo, though details are still being finalized. Members plan to coordinate with UCLA Housing and plan to leave flowers and spruce up the garden area Oreo frequented, Jimenez-Tostado, a third-year political science student, added.

Jimenez-Tostado said the club is continuing fundraising efforts to buy food for Tux, a fellow Hill cat, and other strays who call the Hill home. The club also plans to build an insulated house for stray cats in the Delta Terrace garden by spring 2026, Barlow added.

“UCLA, like the Hill, isn’t just plopped there in a bubble – there’s life around it,” Jimenez-Tostado said. “People should be aware that we’re not just here, and it’s not just our spot. It’s a shared place for a lot of pedestrians, for a lot of animals.”