Batman, a hall of residence cat for students at the University of Westminster, may have been stolen after staff saw him taken away by two men at the Harrow campus on March 26.
Debbie Lee Rumball, residential life manager at the campus, said Batman has been a “cherished companion” to 620 students for the past 17 years.
She said: “Batman is elderly, a little unsteady on his feet, but deeply loved by everyone here. We are all so devastated.
“He has a really bad back leg full of arthritis. On the CCTV you can clearly see the two men luring Batman outside the hall reception and tipping him upside down and dropping him into a bag. To treat him like that is really awful.”
She said two men could be seen heading across the park toward Kenton—possibly in the direction of Lulworth Avenue, Conway Gardens, or Windermere Avenue.
“I’ve managed the building for 22 years and Batman’s been here for nearly 17.
“The students are devastated. They come up at lunchtime and stroke him and give him bits and pieces to eat.
“If they dropped him somewhere, he will never find his way back, that’s what worries us the most. ”
One of the university contractors has set up a £500 reward for anyone with information that leads to Batman being found.
She said Batman is microchipped and has black fur and a small bump on the top of his head.
“I thought he had a tick so I got some tweezers to try and pull it out, but it was a wart, which is much bigger now because of that. There are lots of black cats but how many with a big bump on their head?”
She said the police have been “very supportive” and have reviewed CCTV footage.
Debbie added: “We hope their database recognise those two men. If anybody steals a pet, cat or dog, it’s an arrestable offence.
“We hope if they let Batman go, somebody will find him and take him to a vet.
“We really hope that an appeal might help spread the word and bring Batman home.”
The Metropolitan Police has been contacted for comment.
If you have seen Batman contact student accommodation and residential services on 020 7911 5000 or email rumbald@westminster.ac.uk.
