MONROE COUNTY, Tenn. — Hiwassee College will be closing its doors on May 10 after 170 years of education.
The closure has many concerned about what's next for the Tiger campus, but for some -- they're worried about the fate of some long-time tiny tigers on the campus: a booming feral cat population.
RELATED: 'Like a death in the family': Hiwassee College to close at end of spring semester after 170 years
The college administration addressed those concerns -- saying those cats will be taken care of even after the closure.
President Robin Tricoli said a student wrote a grant so the cats could be captured and spayed or neutered by a local vet.
"The feral cats will not be reproducing, so I don't know what will happen with that, but we hope that we will be able to continue with a local vet and a partnership to keep that population limited," Tricoli said.
The Monroe County Friends of Animals said volunteers have committed to visiting the campus after the closure to feed the cats, and while the organization is not directly involved with this plan -- they are staying informed to make sure the cats continue to live a full life.