Colorado State University Spur campus hosts kitten naming contest

Colorado State University's newest campus needs your help naming a kitten. However, it's not a real cat. It's a 9-foot interactive kitten statue that welcomes visitors to the Vida building on the CSU Spur campus in Denver.

The kitten is an educational tool that is meant to teach kids the best way to greet an animal. The statue purrs or meows when you walk up to its face but will growl or hiss if you walk up behind it.

CSU Spur reached out to nonprofits and organizations in the Globeville and Elyria-Swansea neighborhoods to come up with six names for this unofficial mascot.

The finalists are:

Esperanza: Esperanza means "hope" in Spanish and was submitted by the Tepeyac Community Health Center. The name symbolizes the renewed sense of hope in the neighborhood, and its rich cultural history as a largely Latino community.

Howdy: Howdy was submitted by the nearby Valdez-Perry library and is meant to symbolize the statue that welcomes visitors to the National Western Center.

Lady: Lady was the first horse who was part of the Temple Grandin Equine Center, which is why they submitted the name. The center studies and cares for horses, while also offering horse therapy for those with special needs.

Neighpurr: Extreme Community Makeover submitted this name to symbolize its investment in making meaningful connections and relationships in the neighborhood.

Queenie: The Dumb Friends League submitted the name because Queenie was the first cat to be at the shelter. She was found 100 years ago in a basket at the home of Margaret Bardey, who was one of the original founders.

Shakespurr: This name was submitted by the National Western Center as a play on the CSU Spur name and of course, Shakespeare.

Vote for your favorite now here. You have until August 26 to weigh in. The winning kitten name will be announced on CSU Spur social media accounts on August 29.