By Nico Patakidis

When you’re walking around campus, particularly the BSS building or the Arcata Community Forest, you may stumble upon a sort of otherworldly, mythical kind of creature. It could be in the bushes, stalking you on your way to class or watching your every move from the treetops. But what this cryptid really wants is a scratch on the chin or a pat on the head.

Three average sized paws and one big foot gave this cat his name. Often does Bigfoot the cat wander the outdoors, exploring nature and looking for a stranger to indulge him in a few strokes across his marbled coat. Yet for the unassuming passerby who happens to see a rather beautiful and well taken care of bengal cat, it appears that Bigfoot is most certainly lost.

Bigfoot’s owner is Cal Poly Humboldt biological anthropology major Miriam Cima, who adopted Bigfoot while living in Burlingame, CA and brought him with her when she moved up to Humboldt. Bigfoot grew up on the busy streets of San Mateo county, living the outdoor-cat life since he was a kitten.

“We tried the indoor life, I’ve got him like a cat wheel and like tons of cat trees and toys and stuff,” Cima said. “Being an outdoor cat, he always wanted to be outside. It didn’t matter if it’s raining or anything, he wants to be outdoors.”

Cima and Bigfoot currently live right near campus and the Arcata community forest – his usual stomping grounds. For the past three years, many people have had encounters with Bigfoot and of course called the phone number hanging off his collar. Cima said that although she’s gotten plenty of calls letting her know Bigfoot is lost, she’s also received many photos and videos of Bigfoot rolling around in the grass or chillaxing in the sun.

Despite all the love Bigfoot has gotten, Cima does face some criticisms about allowing Bigfoot to be out and about. Free-roaming cats have been shown to disrupt local ecosystems due to being non-native predators, hunting birds and other small animals. Because of this factor, Cima did begin to limit Bigfoot’s outdoor time and stop him from roaming quite as freely.

“I’m definitely learning about being a responsible pet parent, I have changed my ways for sure with like the criticism and stuff,” Cima said. “But, the cat just wants to be outside man.”

As of now, Bigfoot’s roaming has been limited to just one hour a day. This is in part due to the recent mountain lion sighting on campus, as well as the rising cases of rabies in Humboldt County. Part of taking care of a semi-outdoor cat means bringing Bigfoot in for frequent vet visits to check for fleas and keeping him updated on vaccinations – both for Bigfoot’s health and her own. Equipped with a tracker, Cima is always aware of Bigfoot’s whereabouts.

During his time in Humboldt, Bigfoot has lived up to his name and become a local legend.

“I think it’s a cool little part of Humboldt,” Cima said. “That people will get to look back on and be like, oh remember that cute bengal with five paws named Bigfoot that roamed around campus?”

Nico is a reporter with an interest in covering local government and political affairs. Reach him at np211@humboldt.edu.