In the Spring Semester of 2004 we decided it was time to have our own mascot to represent the spirit of the college and to serve as a symbol for our athletes. After a tough competition, in February 2004 two Mercatorians - Malgorzata Skorek and Anna Bobrowska created the Mercator Mascot - the MerCAT.

The House Cat – Felis Catus – is one of the most widespread species on Earth. It has been traveling ever since and its great adventures became known to man. From Asia it came to Europe and Africa, to be then taken off to Americas. The connection to traveller Mr Mercator is here very clear. Moreover, there exist more or less 110 races of the house cat, making it a much more diverse species than the human. Thus the following features make the Cat a perfect representative of Mercator College – the internationality and diversity, the willingness to live in any country with any man or woman, regardless of their beliefs or skin colour. The only condition required by the Cat to stay is tolerance and ability of compromise. This is certainly what people out of 69 countries need to live together forming a college society.

A further feature of this beautiful animal is its wit. It is neither a bloody brute, seeking for an occasion to kill nor is it a dumb animal that can be trained to do whatever it is told to. Its cunningness caused it to deserve the respect that other creatures did not obtain. It is the respect for being independent, for always taking a different route, for exploring… Which creature could represent Mercatorians better than the Cat – although not always very welcomed, it has initiative and does what it feels like doing.

Cats are nevertheless not emotionless animals. Their purring while being scratched is the best sign of their hidden passion for contact with humans. Just as might be the case for many people living in Mercator – not admittedly, but still seeking someone to share their everyday ups and downs with.

If somebody might think that such a perfect animal cannot represent students, here is a good counter – argument. The house cat, counting with short naps in, sleeps about 16 hoursper day, being (right before college students) one of the most sleepy mammals. Although most of Mercatorians (if not all) cannot allow themselves for such a time waste, they would surely wish for being able to follow the Cats sleeping habits at least in some degree (some of them actually do – just watch their faces during the morning lectures).

Last but not least, come briefly stated (due to willingness of following the Cats habits) other advantages the cats represent us with, or at least, we wish they did:

* Cats are clean – they have when they or their bowls are dirty

* Cats’ senses of hearing (they hear the opening of the refrigerator door), seeing in dark, and smell are much more enhanced than humans’

* Cats always land on four feet

* If they don’t – Cats have 9 lives (imagine how many majors one could do with that)

* Cats posture is smooth and they are extremely swift

* Domesticated Cats, even though small, have older cousins – just to mention lions, tigers, pumas (all of them also having similar characteristics)

* Cats are famous – Felix, Garfield, Oliver and Co, Tom and Jerry etc.

* Their cousins are famous too – the Lion King, the Jungle Book, Ice Age

* Most of all – the word “cat” perfectly fits into MerCATor!!

(text by Malgorzata Skorek and Anna Bobrowska)