No one can deny that CALS is home to exceptional people, but below, you will see the very best CALS has to offer…the behind-the-scenes companions of you and your fellow employees…our CALS pets!
Voting Instructions:
- Go to this link
- $1 = 1 vote: choose your amount
- In the Special Events Description, please type “Pet: Name of pet you are voting for” (for example, Pet: Fluffy).
- Select “Madison” as your UW Location
- Select “AGRICULTURAL & LIFE SCIENCES, COLLEGE OF” (the first option) as your UW Division
- Enter your personal and card information
- Also possible–make your donation in cash by bringing it to Amanda Givens in 140 Ag Hall
Note that special event donations go into a general pool for the college separated from your name, but if you donate here & would like to be included in the November CALS drawing, please let me know at ALGivens@wisc.edu!
Bluebell
Nate Doolin, Academic Affairs
“Bluebell is a four-year old super mutt rescue. Her favorite past times include chasing squirrels, demanding attention from her hoomans, snacking, and going on the longest nature hikes, a true outdoorist. A regal dog that gives back as much love as she asks for. Strangers are greeted with a classic lean hug, kind eyes, and a powerful lick/touch of affection. Sometimes overly sensitive, we are careful to always include her. Known for sitting in chairs next to you like a hooman, she always strives to be equal with the family and never misses a hug she observes.”
Nova
Andrew Stevens, Agricultural & Applied Economics
Hi! My name is Nova, and I am a 1-year-old Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. I enjoy living in my apartment downtown where there are lots of other people and dogs to meet. I don’t really like it when the trains go by, though—they’re loud and scary! I much prefer going to off-leash dog parks and bounding through the tall prairie grass like a bunny. And I LOVE to go swimming, even when my humans don’t really want me to. They have to keep me on a pretty short leash if we go to Picnic Point. As you can see, I am also a big sister to this tiny new human my parents brought home a couple of months ago. They call him Grant, and he’s OK, I guess. He smells kind of funny, though. Maybe when he gets older, he will share his food with me. That would be pretty cool of him.
Cucurbit
Lucy Wellso, Agricultural Research Stations
“He is a man of many hats and goes by many names: Cucurbit called Kuku for short (a Cucurbit is a plant in the plant family Cucurbitaceae (squash, pumpkin, gourd family) and kuku is the Swahili word for chicken)). He is a very talkative, spry 20-year-old I adopted 3 years ago. I believe he utilizes echolocation as his yowls are so persistent. He has participated in two UW Veterinary studies looking at mental decline in elderly cats and elderly cat gut microbiome (spoiler: excessive vocalization is a symptom of decline). His favorite hobbies include waking me at 4am for his first breakfast, yelling at my roommates for more food, stealing fellow house cats’ food, sleeping, forgetting he’s been fed, and preaching to the choir.”
Bandit
Whitney Brown, Animal & Dairy Sciences
“This is Bandit. He is a 10-week-old border collie, and he is dressing up as a Bee for Halloween. He is currently in the puppy phase of wanting to bite everything and his favorite snack is pumpkin.”
Cooper & SNP
M.Sofia Ortega, Animal & Dairy Sciences
“Introducing Cooper (smooth hair) and SNP (long hair), they are 14 and 8 years old. Cooper is originally from Honduras, came to do Grad School with me as a puppy, and is known in my family as Dr. Cooper. Little SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism, named after my doctoral research topic) joined us in 2017. These little badgers love cheese curds (not fried, and in moderation) as snacks, and walks by the lake. And they are the founding members of the Ortega Laboratory.”
Juno
Allie Beyer, Bacteriology
“Juno is five months old and hails from Bemidji, Minnesota. She is named after the Juno spacecraft, and her research interests are red laser lights. She hopes to one day find a method for successfully capturing the elusive red laser dot. Aside from studying biophysics with her mom, she enjoys bird watching, running laps, chewing on expensive technology, and a long cat nap. Moving to Madison for graduate school was a big transition and I could not have done it without Juno. Please enjoy this photo of her after two hours of quantum mechanics.”
Raffa
Alicia Botes, Biochemistry
“This is Raffa (Rafael). He is a 9-year-old miniature French poodle. He has lost his eye when a cat attacked him in 2019. He lives a very full life and has traveled the world (South Africa to USA). He loves swimming and can go for hours until we must make him come out of the water. He’s favorite things to do is eat fish, treasure hunting with his sniffer, kissing and cuddling with previously aforementioned fishy breath and napping on his back while snoring.”
Mika
Ryan Sabin, Biochemistry
“Mika is a Shih-Poo puppy that I adopted from a dog rescue in Illinois this past spring. She loves playing outside and hauling her favorite toys around the house with her. When she meets new people, her first response is to roll over on her back hoping for belly rubs.”
Yuki
Paulo Falco Cobra, Biochemistry
“This is Yuki (about 5.5 years old) and Kyo as host and sous chef during dinner time.” [Yuki is the gray cat in on the left.]
Kyo
Paulo Falco Cobra, Biochemistry
“These are Kyo, about 6 year old, and Haru, in a rare moment of cuddling.” [Kyo on the right]
Haru
Paulo Falco Cobra, Biochemistry
“This is Haru, our new cat, about 8 months old in this picture, seeing diffracted light on the wall for the first time.”
Squirrel
Eli Brunett, Business Services
“Hello friends, I want to introduce you to Squirrel. She is a very cuddly and talkative girl who enjoys crashing Teams meetings, playing fetch, and hunting flies in the house. She came to me as a rescue and is the well-behaved middle child in our household.”
Ciri and Winnie
Jay Beiser, Business Services
“Ciri and Winnie are both rescue beagles and are excited to compete again this year. They both love the fall weather and playing with each other outside!”
Shake
Cristina Paz, Cancer Biology
“I would like to introduce Shake, a 14 year old senior kitty. Shake loves to nap in the sun, hunt toy mice and present them to you, and sleep with his little tongue out for the perfect blep. He is vocal and active and has been with me for the last 14 years. He was found as a kitten abandoned in a garage in a cage with the rest of his litter by the Chicago Fire Department and ever since has been under my care. He has lived in Chicago, Cleveland, and Madison and can be considered a real midwestern traveler. Please consider Shake for the cutest pet competition because he is definitely one of the cutest things I have ever seen!”
Ellie & Guinness
Chris Lacey, Center for Patient Partnerships
“Ellie and Guinness were stars at this year’s Basset Bash & Waddle in Illinois! They are both 3-year-old basset hounds (not related, thank goodness!). They live in the country with their itty bitty pitty brother Chunk (short for Chunkasaurus) and their polydactyl kitty brother Charlie. Guinness is a very mischievous boy, who uses his brains to outwit and outsmart his humans in an effort to acquire food and other goodies. Ellie is a sweetheart who behaves like an angel. Together they make a great team!”
Lola
Tara Darga, Dean’s Office
“Lola is a Russian Blue who came to us as a rescue and is the softest cat you’ll ever pet. Lola loves sleeping in the sunshine, squeezing herself into impossibly small spaces, and will happily let you snuggle — but only when she decides it’s okay.”
Clove
Emma Zuidema, External Relations
“Meet Clove! She’s 3 years old and a cuddle bug at heart, but with a mischievous spark. She loves laying belly-up, climbing to the top of the fridge, and sneaking outside whenever she gets the chance. Her favorite hobby is “tent time,” where she lounges outside watching birds and squirrels, probably plotting her next escape.”
Basil
Xingjian Yang, Food Science
“This is Basil, my sweet little Ragdoll with the softest heart (and fur) in the world. She’s so gentle and cuddly! Her favorite hobby? Chewing on plastic bags… yes, really. (Don’t worry, she’s supervised!) She’s a little shy sometimes, but she loves climbing. Before every jump, she’ll sit at the bottom and give herself a few motivational meows — like, “you got this”! Her fur gets ridiculously fluffy in winter. She basically turns into a walking cloud. She never gets angry, ever, but she does have one specific rule: no touching her paws (unless with a chicken snack)! ”
Fawkes
Persephone Valentine, Food Research Institute
“Fawkes is a cantankerous African Grey Parrot with a soft spot for dancing to his favorite artist Sexyy Red. When he isn’t dancing, you will likely find him swinging, whistling, shredding anything in his path and reciting his favorite words and sounds. Most notable of these words/sounds is *fart* “oooh yeah”
Cashew
Stevie Ward, Food Research Institute
“Cashew, named after my favorite nut, is a 1 year old orange cat, and acts like it! She is friendly, bubbly, sassy, and often naps with her tongue out. She likes to watch me cook, even when I’m cutting onions and they make her cry. She loves to lay in cute poses to lure belly rubs, and then bite! Cashew is also a fan of playing fetch with anything that jingles, and relaxes by sucking on blankets.”
Boba & Mochi
Ahna Skop, Genetics
“Boba, a stunning seal mitted Ragdoll, sports rich dark brown points with elegant white mittens and a distinctive white chin. Her littermate Mochi is a beautiful blue point Ragdoll with soft gray-blue coloring and mesmerizing blue eyes. These two inseparable cats bring endless joy and entertainment to my life, whether they’re lounging in their cat tree, gazing out windows at the birds, or begging for their bonito flakes. True to their breed’s affectionate temperament, Boba and Mochi are gentle, social companions who love being wherever the action is—often supervising activities from their favorite perches or playing with pipe cleaners.”
Olive
Savannah Gentry, Genetics
“This is my 10-year-old Brittany spaniel, Olive. As you can see, she’s too cute for her own good, and knows it. Her stomach has been a black hole ever since she was a puppy and is somehow alive after eating a plethora of people medicine, chemicals, people food, and literal plastic. Luckily her older age has settled her, although she demands to be included whenever cooking is happening because she believes she is a great judge of flavor. In another life, she was a fish and loves water in all of its forms; never does the kitchen floor stay dry…”
Maisie
Sophie Baumberger, Genetics
“Attached is a photo of my dog, Maisie. She’s a banana for Halloween this year and she is super thrilled! Maisie is four years old, and some of her favorite things include tennis balls, stealing socks and getting attention 24/7. When she’s not demanding attention, she’s usually harassing her two cat brothers.”
Marty
Isabel Villanueva, Life Sciences Communication
“Marty, a 9 year-old hound adopted from Arkansas, is a sweet boy through and through. His love language is food, and he will eat anything you give him. Marty’s favorite treats are peanut butter, seaweed, and every type of bug he finds on his walks. But don’t let his sweet face fool you! He does his best to protect his humans from any imminent danger like bunnies, lawnmowers, and dog statues. When his long day of guarding is over, he likes to stare out the window and cuddle on the couch.”
Oliver
Beth Olson, Nutritional Sciences
“As a puppy, Oliver (Ollie) was given to a rescue by a breeder, because he had a heart murmur. We adopted him. The murmur turned out to be a hole in his heart, this hole has now scarred over, and he is doing wonderfully. He’s a lover of all people (NOT a good watchdog), and loves to play with toys and chase squirrels. Despite his small size, he will play and wrestle with any other willing dog, no matter how big. He has been a joy!”
Meggie
Tainá Hebel da Silva, Plant & Agroecosystem Sciences
“Meggie is an 11-year-old female. You might think that she is old, but she is actually more active than me 🙂 a natural countryside dog, and LOVES being in the field with me! Especially in a beautiful wheat field.”
Bugs
John Zaborsky, Plant & Agroecosystem Sciences
“Bugs is our family’s pet rabbit. He is five years old and while he’s quite handsome, he’s kind of a brat. He loves attention and cuddles, but if you don’t give him enough, he’ll tear apart your couch…”
Bear
Jillene Fisch, Plant & Agroecosystem Sciences
“Fang-ken-stein or Frank-en-bear. “Bear” is our 10-year-old domestic short hair. He came to us with an aural hematoma (crumpled left ear), his right eye was enucleated due to a high blood pressure complication, and he has fabulous fangs. Despite his health issues, he is the BEST cat! Always purring, affectionate, and playful.”
Christmas
Jillene Fisch, Plant & Agroecosystem Sciences
“He started checking us out in the late fall one year, and I said, ‘Looks like we’ll have a new cat by Christmas.’ Hence his name. It took until February the following year for him to decide to stay–he chose us! He was a total feral-no need for affection. Once he was fixed, he became the biggest baby! So sweet and gentle. He is now 18-ish and living with kidney disease. He still enjoys sitting outside in the sun and eating catnip, but his favorite thing is cuddles with Momma.”
Archer
Caitlin Collies, Plant & Agroecosystem Sciences
Hi! My name’s Archer, but my parents like to call me all sorts of things, including Archie, Mr. Chonk, and sometimes even Professor Archibald. I love to swim soooo much — sometimes it’s hard for mom and dad to keep me out of the lake. It’s been nice to meet you, but I gotta go – there are squirrels in my backyard to chase!
Jupiter
Jillene Fisch, Plant & Agroecosystem Sciences
“Boo-piter, AKA, “Jupiter” Jupiter is our little girl, about 4 years old. She has the sassiest personality of our 3 cats, and rightly so! She’s a cutie! She sees no problem sitting on my handbell pad and interrupting practice, demanding cuddles even though I’m already running late, or sharing a dollop of whipped cream from a fancy coffee beverage.”
Alfalfa
Claudia Solis Lemus, Plant Pathology
“Alfalfa, proud member of the Solis-Lemus lab. Alfalfa is a 3 year old cattle dog mix. She is passionate about squirrels and other small mammals. In her free time, she likes to study the cushiness properties of grass and the taste of Madison lakes in different seasons.”
Puds MacKitty
Edward Williams, Wisconsin Crop Innovation Center
“Puds is a good little kitty! Our daughter rescued her as a stray during a thunderstorm on the mean streets of Madison. Puds was just a kitten then, but had to live and hunt on her own and was quite small for her age, the vet telling us she was actually older than her size indicated. I didn’t really want a cat but ended up caring for this scrappy little kitten. Her perseverance and grit make her a good role model for the young undergraduates as well as the old alumni! Likes: attacking feet, getting in the way, scratching furniture, cardboard boxes; Dislikes: other cats.”