At the beginning of last fall semester, Bowling Green State University (BGSU) introduced the university’s unofficial mascot, Pudge.
This 3-year-old exotic shorthair Persian was brought into the football locker room to help uplift players during breaks and has now become a staple of the university. Pudge’s “roommate,” George Carlson, BGSU Football’s starting long snapper last season, brought Pudge into the football world.
Carlson brought Pudge into the locker room after a practice, and the team immediately accepted the cat as their team. His rise to fame began.
Since then, Pudge has been covered by the New York Times, the Associated Press, as well as other national and local news outlets. He has gotten his own EA Sports card, “Pudge the Cat,” Released in September of 2025, as part of the “Stars of the Week.” The feline frenzy also created merchandise of Pudge, ranging from shirts to bobbleheads. He is signed to an NIL deal through an apparel company to give fans the chance to get their hands on Pudge merchandise. In fact, Pudge’s merchandise has shipped to all 50 states in the United States.
The furry star has received attention from many feline companies and has been sent care packages from Purina and Temptations. He has also been awarded Honoree for Outstanding Contribution to Feline Cuteness in Athletics by The Cat Fanciers’ Association in the fall of 2025.
“The Pudge craze has been absolutely incredible and such a fun time to be a part of,” Carlson said.
The student section at the Doyt Stadium during the football season was filled with Pudge fans wearing merchandise and holding Pudge posters. Pudge would attend many home and away games during the season and could be seen on campus at various events. He often had many meet-and-greets during the fall semester as well.
This semester, Pudge was on campus for different events, including Animarathon, a two-day event at the end of March.
“So many people in cosplay came to meet Pudge, so it was a pretty fun event,” Carlson said.
Pudge has gotten special treatment when traveling to away games, such as their game at the University of Louisville. The team set up a cardboard locker with a bed, treats and a litterbox ready for the Persian cat. Pudge has his own security team for each game and event that he takes part in.
Carlson runs Pudge’s social media pages @UnclePudgy, providing content from the famous cat and giving others joy through his posts. During the football season, there were many events to cover, and during the off-season, Carlson has kept Pudge’s account active and flowing with new adventures from the pair.
“It’s been a blast running his socials because I basically just get to take a bunch of funny pictures of Pudge,” Carlson said.
Many people have learned the story of Pudge the locker room cat and Bowling Green over the 2025-2026 school year. So what’s next for the dynamic duo?
Carlson will be going into the next stage of his football career soon as he entered the 2026 National Football League NFL Draft. He plans to bring Pudge with him wherever he goes and hopes people will still find joy in Pudge’s social media presence during Carlson’s transition into his new football life.
“Campus will have guest appearances when I can get out to campus. As long as BG still wants Pudge, I will keep bringing him out,” Carlson said.
