Those missing a beloved pet and chronic scrollers alike may come across a few recurring posts on their Instagram feeds featuring dogs, cats, chickens and even a praying mantis or two that can be found around the Occidental campus. The account featuring these posts is called @animalsofoxy, where they highlight the many animals that wander campus every single day. @animalsofoxy began their account last year, amassing almost 200 followers since then.
The face behind the page, however, wishes to remain anonymous in order to not sidetrack from the attention-seeking animals who make up the posts and, according to the account owner, would not appreciate the diverted attention.
“The account mainly includes dogs owned by off-campus community members, outdoor cats, students’ pets and Pierre lore,” @animalsofoxy said.
Enter Pierre, the campus’s most famous cat according to @animalsofoxy, who roams Occidental’s campus frequently.
“It’s mutually agreed by students on campus that his name is Pierre,” @animalsofoxy said. “But no one really knows who he belongs to.”
The account’s owner said that @animalsofoxy was originally a Pierre fan account, taking photos of the outdoor cat exclusively. However, they were unable to find the evasive cat consistently enough to feature only him. The owner of the account said that besides being huge fans of Pierre, they had another reason for starting the account.
“The account started mostly from me missing my dog at home and being homesick because of it,” @animalsofoxy said.
The account was soon expanded to include all animals in and around the Occidental campus rather than exclusively dogs, as the account owner was afraid of possible backlash due to the exclusion of favorite animals and pets on campus that were not dogs.
“Cats, dogs, I don’t only do dogs,” @animalsofoxy said. “I don’t want to start beef. This is a beef-less account.”
The account owner said that @animalsofoxy is a great way to help students who may be missing pets and animals while away at college by providing a little piece of home.
“I think [the account] makes people smile and also hypes up the animal,” @animalsofoxy said. “It also makes owners happy to see their animal on the account.”
The Instagram account has had an impact on students and faculty around campus, even helping inspire events such as Mondays with Bailey, according to Eric Robinson, staff therapist for the Emmons Wellness Center. From 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. every Monday, students can hang out with an eight-month-old puppy named Bailey in the Intercultural Community Center (ICC) backyard to destress. Robinson said he was also inspired to start Mondays with Bailey after seeing students interact with animals on campus.
Robinson, Bailey’s owner, said he has seen the effects of homesickness and missing pets in many students and has also heard of many students losing their pets while away at college. After seeing how people interacted with the different pets and animals on campus and seeing the effects of community accounts such as @animalsofoxy, he knew Mondays with Bailey was a good choice.
“As I’ve seen, it’s kind of hard to just walk past a cute dog. Stopping pulls them away from the drama of life,” Robinson said.
Like the @animalsofoxy account owner, Robinson said that animals provide connection and happiness between students.
“Animals create opportunities for connection,” Robinson said.
Connection has also been a huge reason for keeping @animalsofoxy running for a second year, the account owner said.
“The account is a great way to get to know the community and faculty and build relationships,” @animalsofoxy said.
The impact of the account is not only noticeable through the pets posted on the account but also through the owners of the featured animals. Revi was a dog recently featured on the account. Maggie Hill (first year), Revi’s owner, said she liked the idea of @animalsofoxy.
“If I didn’t have a dog, it would be a really nice way to see other dogs on campus,” Hill said.
Hill said she appreciated being asked to include Revi on the account and that she is glad Revi can contribute to keeping a happy campus environment while they are here.
“It was sweet. If other people see [Revi’s picture] and smile, that would be nice,” Hill said.
The owner of @animalsofoxy said they are thrilled to able to bring inspiration and so many smiles to the faces of Occidental students during the week. They recommend anyone currently homesick for their pets, whether cats, dogs, chickens or other animals, to walk around campus and in the greater Occidental community.
“Take advantage of Eagle Rock being such a good animal area,” @animalsofoxy said. “Seeing animals warms my day, and it makes me happy.”
Contact Addison Wieseler at wieseler@oxy.edu
