Balbina is a cat widely known as a mascot of the Institute of Psychology. She has been through a lot: from wandering the Gagarina Street in search of food to encountering collar thieves. Let’s get to know Balbina!
Kitty with a history
She first came across the Institute at the end of 2022, hungry and homeless. The Institute’s staff reacted almost immediately, adopting her and providing veterinary care. Now, Balbina is popular among psychology and cognitive science students. She greets everyone at the entrance, waiting for someone to pet her as a reward.
Julia Sikorska, a lecturer at the Institute of Psychology, confirmed in our interview that Balbina was starved when she first approached the Institute. Later on, one staff member bought Balbina a cat house to give her a place to sleep. On the occasion of the Institute’s holiday, she became the Institute’s mascot.
Puss in… trouble?
Recently, Balbina became the subject of a minor controversy on Facebook, where people drew attention to her collar. Some people think Balbina is scared and wild, and the collar may lead to an accident. The truth is that the cat is still getting used to people. Despite many attempts, she is still afraid to enter any building! She has her own safe place lined with blankets, allowing her to shield herself from the cold.
Shortly after the collar controversy on Facebook, someone tore the collar off Balbina. Unfortunately, the collar was very important as it protected the cat from various parasites; thus, it was expensive. Moreover, the collar is to show that the cat is not a stray. A new collar will be funded with the proceeds from the fundraiser.
Cat, the mascot
Marcin Witkowski, known as Balbina’s “father,” said that the cat has won the hearts of the students. Mr Witkowski also confirms that Balbina is still adapting to the new environment – she does not sleep in her cat house yet and avoids eating dry food. Additionally, he said that Balbina seems to behave more like a dog, as she patrols the whole building and rolls over the floor, waiting for someone to pet her.
Let’s help Balbina!
Unfortunately, Balbina, known as the “red-haired beauty,” no matter how wonderful, cannot provide for herself. Ms. Sikorska has started a fundraiser where she publishes the expenditure on Balbina. However, if you want to help Balbina in a non-financial way, you can bring wet and dry cat food, blankets, and cat bowls to the institute.
Balbina, often seen around the Institute, welcomes your affection, as seen in the attached photos. Join the online fundraiser and the one in the Institute’s building to provide Balbina with essential items!
Polish version of the article by Michalina Hanzdel here.
