There’s nothing better than making a new furry friend at Elizabethtown College. This week, let’s allow another one to introduce himself.

Meet Onyx, a six-year-old tuxedo cat. He lives on campus with his owner, senior neuroscience major Jesslyn Lopez.

Luck, or perhaps fate, brought Onyx and Lopez together when the cat was just a few months old. The two have been inseparable ever since.

“I got him five years ago,” Lopez said. “I found him in the forest behind my house.”

Onyx’s dapper black and white coat made it easy for Lopez to pick out a name for him. He closely resembles the gemstone, which is typically black with white bands.

“I gave him his name just from how he looks, honestly,” she said. “He looks like an Onyx.”

All cat lovers know that no two cats have the same personality. Cats’ temperaments run the gamut from completely aloof to gregarious, and their moods can change at the drop of a hat. It’s safe to say that Onyx is nearly always on the friendlier end of that spectrum.

“He is a love bug,” Lopez said. “[He] loves attention to the point he might as well be an attention seeker.”

According to Lopez, Onyx is always in the mood for cuddles, and his appetite for scratches can never be quenched.

Speaking of appetites, Onyx is known in the Lopez household for being a big foodie. He loves food so much that he gets feisty when his meal is delivered to him even a second too late. When he’s hungry — which is fairly often — he will express his dissatisfaction to his owner with his soft, high-pitched meow.

“Although he is very nice, don’t mess with him when it comes to food or treats, he is very defensive.” Lopez said.

When Lopez opens the bag of his favorite treats, she instantly has his attention. She tosses a treat across the room, and he scrambles after it. He is not above stealing treats, either. Sometimes he finds the bag, gets it open, and makes off with as many as he possibly can. Talk about thinking with your stomach!

Onyx’s thievery doesn’t end with treats, though. Sometimes, Lopez admits, he will steal his own food from her stash, and he will go to great lengths to retrieve it.

“He has a strange talent of opening doors, which honestly annoys me because I would have his food in my closet and because the door slides open, he will push the door open, and then when it is his feeding time, I’m questioning where his food went,” Lopez said.

According to Lopez, Onyx has a very chill demeanor. She likes finding him sitting in odd positions without a care in the world.

“Onyx has a habit of laying on his back when he sleeps which is the cutest thing I ever see him do,” Lopez said.

Does Onyx like making new human friends? Lopez thinks so. At the very least, people seem to enjoy meeting him.

“I had him with me during last year’s tree lighting ceremony, and seeing the love he was getting warmed my heart,” Lopez said. Attendees were delighted to see the cat all wrapped up in Lopez’s arms. Needless to say, the handsome cat received many head pats that evening.

Though Onyx is almost always in Lopez’s room, she can occasionally be seen outside with him. If you’re a fan of Onyx and you see the two of them, Lopez wants you to know that you are welcome to come up and meet him.

“If you see Onyx on campus, don’t forget to say hi,” Lopez said.