It’s been 84 years since we spotted the stray cats of Eastern. Okay, not that long. But it was a while.
For several months, there were no sightings of Steve, Slim Shady, Snickers, or the kittens. The Eastern community became concerned. What had become of our favorite friendly felines?
Thankfully, Steve was spotted again in late August, photographed by the @ehsstraycats Instagram account. Students were thrilled to see him in the senior courtyard, scampering around and showering the first week of school with joy. However, this joy was followed with melancholy news: The Eastern stray cats are being rehomed.
The purpose of the Speaking With Steve series has always been to highlight the fact that stray cats like Steve deserve homes. Areas where they can live in a safe and comfortable climate, with food always on the table and a roof over their head. While disappointed to see them go, the Voyager’s certified animal whisperer Kaitlin Swift is happy to see Steve and all of his friends find places to live that aren’t under a gazebo, eating popcorn chicken and tiger lilies (which are toxic to cats).
Before his departure, Swift was able to secure a final interview with the one and only Steve. She asked him only the most burning questions; here are his responses.
Steve is a HUGE Swiftie, and he was lucky enough to secure tickets to the Eras Tour. He went to the May 13th show at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, and was ecstatic to have This Love as a surprise song. He wore a navy-blue sweater with silver stars and the word Karma plastered on the back, because as Taylor says, karma is a cat. Steve is looking forward to streaming 1989 (Taylor’s Version) on October 27th and hopes that Harry Styles is featured on the new version of Style.
Steve explained that Slim Shady and Snickers left the senior courtyard for a better home for themselves and their kittens, Skittles, Stan, and Mom’s Spaghetti. He wishes them nothing but the best and believes their family’s success is very ins-purr-rational.
Steve’s favorite films are the Puss In Boots franchise. He thinks Puss is incredibly purr-ageous and loves to see a feline like himself make it big in Hollywood.
Steve is an avid watcher of The Summer I Turned Pretty, and is 100% Team Conrad. He hopes not to meet any claws or scratches for this opinion. Steve thinks that underneath Conrad’s cold exterior is a heart of gold, and he has a stronger bond with Belly and appreciation for her than his brother Jeremiah. Plus, all of their scenes have Taylor Swift songs, so they’re clearly meant to be.
Steve’s hopes to travel to France as the purr-fect vacation. He hopes to meet Taylor Swift and her cats Meredith Gray, Olivia Benson, and Benjamin Button, telling them hiss-terical jokes and kitten around.
When asked what he will miss most about his time at Eastern, Steve had one answer: the community. He loved seeing the paw-sitivity that came from his presence; students coming together to enjoy a glance at Steve and his stray cat crew. Steve extended an early con-cat-ulations to the class of 2024 on their graduation in June. He has greatly enjoyed his time at Eastern and wishes all Eastern students and staff a paw-some school year.
Steve would like to thank Mrs. Roberts for leading the initiative to take him and his friends to the Voorhees Animal Orphanage, helping them find their furrever homes. They have now been adopted by members of the secretary and maintenance department of Eastern. He also thanks The Voyager and @ehsstraycats on Instagram for bringing attention to the stray cats of Eastern and Kaitlin Swift, for putting his thoughts and felines into such well-written articles.
Stray cats like Steve deserve homes, so if you see one and you have the means, take it to a local shelter! Voorhees Animal Orphanage brings in stray cats like Steve, while the Animal Welfare Association does not. Here are their policies. Whether it is suited to be a domestic or barnyard cat, it will find a home through these facilities and the caring animal-lovers of the world.
Thank you for reading the final edition of Speaking With Steve! We appreciate your readership over the years and hope you enjoyed the last chapter of Eastern’s favorite friendly felines.
