A strange visitor is among us. You may be asking, “Who is this mysterious creature?” or simply, “Why is it here, and will it affect my allergies?”

Tommy, known to many at Loyola as “The Library Cat,” has taken up an unofficial residence in the Monroe Library. After several attempts to remove Tommy from the library, students and faculty alike have opened their arms to the cat, something they call a welcome presence for the new semester.

After arriving at the library’s steps in the early morning, Tommy makes several attempts to enter; the slow-moving doors are a welcome invitation to the warm, friendly student-habitat. Once inside, he runs for the back, just to be scooped up by a feline-friendly student, faculty or staff member and sent back outside, only to enter moments later at the delight of all present bystanders: a cute, entertaining anecdote to share with friends and family at the end of the day.

But why Loyola? What allure does the university’s library possess that captures the indomitable spirit of this tenacious animal?

In an attempt to answer these important, hard-hitting, journalistic questions, The Maroon spoke with the cat’s chosen companion, Monroe Library Public Services Assistant Brooke Brown.

“I think he comes in for the warmth,” she said. “He likes getting the attention.”

Tommy is often fed, given water and sometimes housed in a rear office, leaving the library staff to question the cat’s ownership, a thought that makes the staff reluctant to return the estranged animal to the outdoors. “He’s very nice, but we have to take him outside at some point,” Brown said.

“We thought someone might come to get him, but we just ended up taking him to his house,” she continued. “We tried calling the number on his tag, and they told us to ‘Just put him in the yard.'”

To get inside the animal’s head, The Maroon asked Brown about the cat’s personality.

“He’s very personable, and he’s never scratched or bit,” Brown said. “The library has a lot of cat lovers, so he doesn’t mind.”

Perhaps Tommy schedules his visits around the coffee cart’s hours of operation. The cat’s early appearances may coincide with the coffee cart’s 7 to 11 a.m. morning hours. It’s a possible coincidence, yet one worth mentioning.

His namesake may be in reference to the Who’s 1969 rock opera “Tommy,” the title character an underdog that wins the hearts of millions and makes a believer out of all who are witness. Could he be the “Pinball Wizard?”

Is he the physical metaphor for New Orleans citizens’ optimism in a post-Katrina environment? A symbol of hope for Saints fans? Or possibly a message of peace for the city’s crime-ridden communities?

Unfortunately, Tommy was unavailable for comment at press time.

Alex Woodward can be reached at [email protected].