Station Cats

[theblackwatch]

Back in the late 80s or early 90s, Preston had a 3-legged station cat called 'Lucky'. Maybe 'Unlucky' would have been more appropriate.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Back in the late 80s or early 90s, Preston had a 3-legged station cat called 'Lucky'. Maybe 'Unlucky' would have been more appropriate.

Depends on your outlook, I suppose...

There's a rather bedraggled looking ginger cat that frequents the platform at Denby Dale station, he seems to know which of the morning commuters are more likely to offer him a bit of bacon from their sandwiches. I think he also gets fed by staff at the neighbouring builder's yard so he isn't wholly reliant on passengers!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

The station cats at Clacton 25 - 30 years ago would often rest on the stabled 309s at weekends; they clearly knew quality rolling stock when they saw it...

 

[mm333]

There was one at Northallerton and we have a ferral one living near Fenny Stratford station. It keeps the pests down and knows to look both ways before crossing the line!

This is my favourite picture of a cat at Northallerton, sitting, correctly, behind the yellow line:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/allan5819/6189656456/

 

[Cherry_Picker]

Leamington Spa used to have one until a couple of years ago. It would regularly sit on the window sill of the train crew mess room and look out onto the town beneath it. Leamington Spa is on a viaduct so you are quite high up when looking out of that window, it's a hell of a vantage point.


(edit: ) I'm not sure whether the cat is no longer with us or it just decided to retire from being a station cat. I'll be buggered if I can remember it's name either.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

I like station cats. Until very recently St Albans had one. He had been missing from his home in London for three years. Passengers and staff looked after it, bought him food, and he ruled platform 1 like a kingdom with access all areas. Passengers would often be seen sat with him. The story goes that a passenger offered to take him to the vets and there they discovered a microchip and so were able to reunite with owner.

The cat had a wonderful calming effect on the passengers too. Kettering seems to have a stationc at too, and there is a long history of heritage lines having station cats. There's one at Loughborough on the GCR who is a bit of a personality and wonders around the engine sheds quite happily.

"Brian" at St Albans turned out to be a North London cat , named Obama ..nice cat and very affable. Was well looked after. SAC now has a vacancy
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Romsey had a well fed cat , last time I was there.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Station cats do seem to have a calming effect on passengers, and I imagine they might even be a deterrent to things like trespass and suicide. Perhaps a recruitment drive for cats at certain "problem" stations such as Dewsbury would be worthwhile?

 

[seawolf]

Liverpool South Parkway's cat is indeed Paul, and I believe Bromoborugh on the Wirral has one too.

 

[Dr_Paul]

I was at Teddington a few weeks back, and a tabby cat walked along the up platform, over the footbridge, and sat on the down platform near me. His collar-tag said 'Archie'. He seemed rather hesitant when walking about, so he was probably a visitor rather than a station cat.

When I was lifting track at Drayton Park depot back in the late 1970s, doing volunteer work for the Ffestiniog Railway, there was a small black cat at the nearby platelayers' hut. I was told that she was a champion ratter, doing a good job keeping down the local rodent population.

 

[fishquinn]

Leamington Spa used to have one until a couple of years ago. It would regularly sit on the window sill of the train crew mess room and look out onto the town beneath it. Leamington Spa is on a viaduct so you are quite high up when looking out of that window, it's a hell of a vantage point.


(edit: ) I'm not sure whether the cat is no longer with us or it just decided to retire from being a station cat. I'll be buggered if I can remember it's name either.

It still does

Hairball towards Birmingham by fishquinn1, on Flickr

 

[CaptainHaddock]

There's a rather bedraggled looking ginger cat that frequents the platform at Denby Dale station, he seems to know which of the morning commuters are more likely to offer him a bit of bacon from their sandwiches. I think he also gets fed by staff at the neighbouring builder's yard so he isn't wholly reliant on passengers!

Is he still there? We regularly saw him at Denby Dale station up until a couple of years ago but assumed he'd died as we hadn't seen him since then. Even 2 years ago he looked a very old cat.

 

[Cletus]

This is my favourite picture of a cat at Northallerton, sitting, correctly, behind the yellow line:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/allan5819/6189656456/

On the wrong side of the yellow line?

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Is he still there? We regularly saw him at Denby Dale station up until a couple of years ago but assumed he'd died as we hadn't seen him since then. Even 2 years ago he looked a very old cat.

I don't go to Denby Dale as much as I used to, and I haven't seen him since last summer so it is possible that he's gone to curl up on the hearth rug in the sky... As you say, he did look like he'd had a good innings though.

 

[Cletus]

Felix at Huddersfield has "gone global"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-35532884

A newly promoted train station cat has become a media sensation after her career advancements were followed from around the globe.

Felix has been the resident pet at Huddersfield railway station in West Yorkshire since 2011, when she was brought in to catch mice.

She has now been given a high-vis vest and made Senior Pest Controller.

A cat flap has also been built at the ticket barrier to allow her platform access.

Felix's success has been covered by newspapers in Taiwan, the Netherlands and Hong Kong.

The story saw a surge in popularity after the Huddersfield Examiner pounced on Felix's "purr-motion".

At the time of writing, a page for Felix has amassed over 20,000 'likes' on Facebook.

A First TransPennine Express spokesman said: "Felix came to the station when she was nine weeks old five years ago.

"We haven't kept a mice tally, but we think she's caught three recently."
The station said the cat was also a "natural" at chasing off pigeons on the station's platforms.

Felix is not the first "station cat" to find global fame - Tama, a stray which was made a station master in western Japan, was credited with turning a loss-making railway company around thanks to the number of tourists it attracted.

After Tama's death last June, thousands of people attended a Shinto-style funeral where the cat was elevated to the status of a goddess.

 

[Parallel]

I saw a black and white cat walking from the shelter and along the platform at Digby and Sowton station at the weekend!

 

[snowball]

Six days after the opening post of this thread, the Beeb has this to add:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-35532884

A newly promoted train station cat has become a media sensation after her career advancements were followed from around the globe.

Felix has been the resident pet at Huddersfield railway station in West Yorkshire since 2011, when she was brought in to catch mice.

She has now been given a high-vis vest and made Senior Pest Controller.

A cat flap has also been built at the ticket barrier to allow her platform access.

Felix's success has been covered by newspapers in Taiwan, the Netherlands and Hong Kong.

The story saw a surge in popularity after the Huddersfield Examiner pounced on Felix's "purr-motion".

At the time of writing, a page for Felix has amassed over 20,000 'likes' on Facebook.

Much more at the link.

 

[WestRiding]

Fitzwilliam (West Yorks) has a Black Cat. Nothing to do with the railway but does love to sit in the shelters and do the rounds for attention from the passengers. Not even phased by the class 91s pelting through the station.

 

[Arglwydd Golau]

Whilst idly following a few links I came across this:

http://www.kirkbystepheneast.co.uk/Stainmore_Railway_Cats.html

 

[matacaster]

Station cats do seem to have a calming effect on passengers, and I imagine they might even be a deterrent to things like trespass and suicide. Perhaps a recruitment drive for cats at certain "problem" stations such as Dewsbury would be worthwhile?

Agree wholeheartedly - perhaps a larger variety from the greater cat family might do the job.

 

[Stampy]

Agree wholeheartedly - perhaps a larger variety from the greater cat family might do the job.

Hmmm... A Tiger or a Lion at Chessington South... ??

 

[mirodo]

Hmmm... A Tiger or a Lion at Chessington South... ??

And an escaped puma at Chessington North...

 

[ANorthernGuard]

Hadfield has one. Very temperamental (Unless you bring treats) lol

 

[Juniper Driver]

There is a cat who lives at Andover station, normally sleeps on top of one of the TVMs when not in the ticket office

https://missadventureedie.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/20140527-201104.jpg

Arghhh,never seen him...Will look out for him now.Down there tomorrow.


Awwww cute!

Pretty sure there was a station cat at Queenstown Road in the early 90's usually on the disused platform.

Only been through this station a handful of times but a while back I saw a cat at Liverpool South Parkway who seemed to be a station cat. Once it was curled up by a heater, and another time it was sat on top of the barriers towards the MerseyRail. The barriers were open so I showed it my ticket as I went through.

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Oh dear, just googled to see if I could find anything about it
"Liverpool station cat Paul in the doghouse after biting security guard" http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/liverpool-south-parkway-station-cat-4694490

I'm definitely on "Paul's" side, seemed perfectly amiable when I saw him.

At least he wasn't claws nined.

 

[alxndr]

I've had a friend send a photo of a signal box cat once, but can't remember where he was at the time. I've also been told of a cat that sneaks into a relay room through the floor and curls up on a chair in the winter, but other who work there don't know what I'm going on about, so there's a fair chance I might have dreamt it...

 

[superalbs]

Pinhoe has this beautiful little thing. ♥

 

[Busaholic]

Pinhoe has this beautiful little thing. ♥

My sister's cat must have escaped from Streatham! Mind you, he thinks he's a dog, even down to the growling.

 

[adamello]

Which other stations have a cat on the payroll and is Felix the highest ranking cat in the land?

Not a station cat, but I believe Larry is probably the highest ranking cat in the land

https://www.gov.uk/government/history/10-downing-street#larry-chief-mouser

 

[geoffk]

Just read that Todmorden station's ginger cat, variously known as Dinky or Garfield, has died - of old age, I think.

 

[shredder1]

I think anyone who doesnt like station cats, has never had one cooked properly

 

[Stampy]

Just read that Todmorden station's ginger cat, variously known as Dinky or Garfield, has died - of old age, I think.

And Rushden Transport Museum and Railway lost their station cat, Alfie, last month...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-40281775