Pebbles - Essex Campus Cat

The cat who chose Essex

Pebbles first appeared on the University of Essex Colchester Campus in late 2010.

Nobody knew where he'd come from. Eventually, a member of staff managed to catch him and take him to the vet, where his microchip revealed that his owner lived nearby in Greenstead.

So we took Pebbles home.

Within 24 hours, he was back.

After attempts to return him again, his owner agreed that Pebbles had clearly decided where he wanted to be. He was adopted by Students' Union CEO Craig Stephens and went on to become a much-loved fixture of campus life.

His favourite haunts included The Store, the Library, Tony Rich and, of course, the Squares.

Over the years he became much more than a cat who happened to live on campus. He became part of Essex.

A campus icon

In 2023, we held the first Campus Cat Day in Pebbles' honour, with photography and poetry competitions, crafts, themed drinks and more. He even has his own bronze statue on campus, with a nose that's rubbed by students for good luck. Campus Cat Day also gave us one of our favourite tributes to Pebbles. Damien Bell won our poetry competition with Ode to Pebbles, capturing everything from his favourite spot outside The Store to his status as a “Rebel with a cause”.

Later that year, Pebbles retired from full-time campus life to live at home with Craig, returning to campus for visits and remaining part of the Essex community. Now his statue, his stories and a very well-rubbed nose will make sure he's part of Essex for generations to come.

Choosing Essex, thanks to Pebbles

One student chose Essex over another university, because of Pebbles.  

Isabella Ciuta, VP Community & Engagement 2021-22, and now a PhD student in Molecular Medicine, says that Pebbles was her “ultimate deciding factor” in coming to Essex from her home country of Romania.    

“I got accepted into the two UK universities I applied for and found myself comparing rankings, campus versus city student life, accommodation prices, and graduate outcomes, but there was no simple right or wrong answer. So, I decided to embark on my academic journey with the university that had a campus cat named Pebbles,” she says. 

“The first time I met Pebbles, I was on my way to my first lecture as an undergrad. It was a happy coincidence and it made me feel a lot calmer about being in a totally new place, in a new country.” 

A little piece of Pebbles

Over the years, Pebbles found his way onto more than just our campus. He's appeared on keyrings, clothing and plenty of other bits of Essex history too. If you'd like a little something to remember him by, you can still find Pebbles merch in Everything Essex on Square 4.