Way down in Texas, the Oblate School of Theology sits on a plot of land in San Antonio that has a cultivated beauty with green space, gardens, trees, statues, and walking paths. It’s a lovely place that attracts not only seminarians and students, but also Roman Catholic pilgrims to the adjacent grotto.

The ranging grounds are home to a lovely array of native flora and fauna, including twittering birds. But just as it rains on the good and evil alike, along with the serene came the stench – skunks.

That posed something of a Texas-sized problem on campus, as the skunks did what they do and stunk up the place. Trying to wrangle them hadn’t proven terribly effective.

But wander around the grounds long enough, and the answer will be clear – cats. And not just any neighborhood house cats roaming on campus; they’re feral cats, thoughtfully formed with the help of experts as a colony to ride herd on the skunk population.

Retired priests who live on campus provide enough food to sustain the cats (and keep them from preying on the campus bird population), and the result is a loyal congregation of cats whose presence is enough to make the skunks think about finding greener pasture.

It’s not a perfect solution – skunks still sulk on campus occasionally – but leaders say the cats have been effective.  And the cats continue to live on campus, a win-win for all (except the skunks). Have a novel solution on your campus? Email  editors@intrust.org.