Station Cats

[Andy873]

I thought for a change I'd ask about something more light hearted, cats at stations.

Having had several cats myself over the years I know just how smart they can be, and when it suits them they can be great company too. Over the last few years I've talked to a fair few people, many of whom recall the local station cat(s), they were generally welcomed (but not by all) as they are great for keeping the mice and rats down. Most were given names by the staff, fed, and well treated.

Does anyone recall a station cat, and what antics did they get up to?

I recently read about one at a station on the old Whitby - Scarborough line, who was know for sneaking onto trains carrying fish, sometimes he was put off at the next station, sometimes he made it all the way to Whitby. From there he was promptly put on the next train back!

 

[Big Jumby 74]

At my first box we had a box cat. A tabby stray (he or she can't remember?) that one of the bobbies took to looking after. No idea what it got up to when out and about, but usually turned up at feeding time, crashed for a few zzzz's in the comfy chair, then disappeared again. Not long before the box closed for the last time it vanished. Found out later it was living with one of the station staff. Must have had the old sixth sense about the box shutting I guess!

 

[pitdiver]

Back in the late 80s Barbican, on LUL had a Station cat. The cat would lay on the ticket gate during the day getting petted by the passengers. When the station was closed and the cat was not wandering around on the tracks it would sleep in the station supervisor's office.
.

 

[zwk500]

There's a fine collection of stories here: https://www.purr-n-fur.org.uk/featuring/wk-rail04a.html. The site mentions a cat at Barbican in the 90s who is possibly the same on @pitdiver mentioned.

My favourite on in that collection is the Grantham cat Shag, who is recorded as having got on various trains and having to be returned home by staff from various stations, including Lincoln which would have involved a change!

 

[WesternLancer]

I thought for a change I'd ask about something more light hearted, cats at stations.

Having had several cats myself over the years I know just how smart they can be, and when it suits them they can be great company too. Over the last few years I've talked to a fair few people, many of whom recall the local station cat(s), they were generally welcomed (but not by all) as they are great for keeping the mice and rats down. Most were given names by the staff, fed, and well treated.

Does anyone recall a station cat, and what antics did they get up to?

I recently read about one at a station on the old Whitby - Scarborough line, who was know for sneaking onto trains carrying fish, sometimes he was put off at the next station, sometimes he made it all the way to Whitby. From there he was promptly put on the next train back!

Excellent idea for a thread.

I recall my mum in the early to mid 1980s talking about a cat that seemed to often be around and about / sleeping in the ladies toilets at Paddington Station (I suspect the toilets were staffed by an attended) - notable thing about the cat according to my mum was that it was very large. Anyone know any more about this feline BR (WR) station staff member from back in the day?

I saw a tabby cat enjoying a drink of water at Loughborough station last weekend - might have been from the dog bowl, this was by gateline outside the supervisors office. I assumed it was staff rather than visiting and holding a platform ticket say

This thread marks the demise of St Neot's cat Sprout - press article link has a link to a fundraiser for a cat charity who had sorted vetinary care for the cat, in the cats memory started by passengers - it was well above the fundraising target when I looked a week or so ago

Sprout, the St Neots station cat, dies at 16 (-ish)

https://www.huntspost.co.uk/news/24668834.sprout-station-cat-st-neots-train-station-dies/ Certainly a regular feature of my commute for a long time, he used to hang around outside the staff entrance at 7pm most evenings to be let in. Had a bad habit of sleeping on the keyboards in the ticket...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Cricketer8for9]

The Gypsy Hill cat has her own blog and calendar.https://gipsyhillfriends.org/2024/09/29/fanny-the-gipsy-hill-cat-calendar-2025/

 

[LowLevel]

Excellent idea for a thread.

I recall my mum in the early to mid 1980s talking about a cat that seemed to often be around and about / sleeping in the ladies toilets at Paddington Station (I suspect the toilets were staffed by an attended) - notable thing about the cat according to my mum was that it was very large. Anyone know any more about this feline BR (WR) station staff member from back in the day?

I saw a tabby cat enjoying a drink of water at Loughborough station last weekend - might have been from the dog bowl, this was by gateline outside the supervisors office. I assumed it was staff rather than visiting and holding a platform say

This thread marks the demise of St Neot's cat Sprout - press article link has a link to a fundraiser for a cat charity who had sorted vetinary care for the cat, in the cats memory started by passengers - it was well above the fundraising target when I looked a week or so ago

Sprout, the St Neots station cat, dies at 16 (-ish)

https://www.huntspost.co.uk/news/24668834.sprout-station-cat-st-neots-train-station-dies/ Certainly a regular feature of my commute for a long time, he used to hang around outside the staff entrance at 7pm most evenings to be let in. Had a bad habit of sleeping on the keyboards in the ticket...

www.railforums.co.uk

The Loughborough cat is known as Chi Chi and lives nearby, visiting a few different local places. She's nice enough though she can be a bit grumpy

 

[WesternLancer]

The Loughborough cat is known as Chi Chi and lives nearby, visiting a few different local places. She's nice enough though she can be a bit grumpy

Thanks for this added info - perhaps not officially a station cat then - although I guess given that human staff don't have to live at the station they work at these days maybe that still counts

I've also seen cats at Loughborough Central station now I think about it.

 

[LowLevel]

Thanks for this added info - perhaps not officially a station cat then - although I guess given that human staff don't have to live at the station they work at these days maybe that still counts

I've also seen cats at Loughborough Central station now I think about it.

The station staff regard her as the station cat, though she has a proper home and is only allowed in the waiting rooms and on the platforms. Cats being cats she goes where she likes and does seem to enjoy spending much of her time at the station.

The GCR has many cats living around it and always has done, some more domesticated than others!

 

[zwk500]

Thanks for this added info - perhaps not officially a station cat then - although I guess given that human staff don't have to live at the station they work at these days maybe that still counts

I've also seen cats at Loughborough Central station now I think about it.

From other reports it seems quite common for the cat to adopt the station rather than the other way round. Some are strays, others are local neighbours.

 

[John Luxton]

Stourbridge Junction has a station cat - George - has his own facebook page and quite a fan following.

Okehampton also had a station cat - Percy but was rehomed after the Dartmoor Line went bust and before GWR took over - but still pops up on Facebook from time to time. His flap still remains in Okehampton signal box which Dartmoor Railway used as an office.

 

[WesternLancer]

From other reports it seems quite common for the cat to adopt the station rather than the other way round. Some are strays, others are local neighbours.

Point very well made

 

[Taunton]

Most famous of all is Skimbleshanks

Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat - Poem by T. S. Eliot

Particularly to me because, along with John Betjeman's Metroland, I compared them in detail, in GCSE English, and got the best grade of the year. Neither were in the official syllabus. I wonder if the exam marker was an enthusiast!

 

[iknowyeah]

Hadfield had one until around five or six years ago

 

[Neo9320]

I recall often seeing a cat at highbridge & Burnham, more than likely living in the nearby properties.

Didn’t give a damn about anything, indeed would sit and wait for fast non stopping traffic before attempting to cross the line.

 

[Dr_Paul]

I recall my mum in the early to mid 1980s talking about a cat that seemed to often be around and about / sleeping in the ladies toilets at Paddington Station (I suspect the toilets were staffed by an attended) - notable thing about the cat according to my mum was that it was very large. Anyone know any more about this feline BR (WR) station staff member from back in the day?

His name was Tiddles. He arrived there one day as a kitten and was adopted by the attendants, and lived there until he died. He was a bit of a chonk, to say the least. More about him here.

For quite a few years there was an unofficial station cat at Teddington, a friendly one-eyed little chap called Archie. He died recently. He lived nearby but spent quite a lot of time on the platform. More about him here.

When I was helping to lift some track from the disused carriage sheds at Drayton Park in the late 1970s for the Ffestiniog Railway, I noticed that the signal box nearby had a small black cat. The signalmen told me she used to catch the rats. They used to feed her, although, knowing what cats are like, she may well have lived in one of the nearby houses.

I read somewhere that the goods depot at Kings Cross had several cats on the payroll -- presumably an official allowance for their food -- because they kept down the mice and rats.

 

[John Luxton]

There was a big black long haired cat which lurked around Derby Castle Station where the Manx Electric and Douglas Horse Tramway terminate. His name was Brian. There was also the added attraction of the station pub - Terminus Tavern. He was quite old and I presume long gone as I have not seen him post Covid.

This is photo I took of him in 2017

L2017_3548 - "Brian" the unoffical Station Cat - Derby Castle - Douglas - Isle of Man

I understand that this is "Brian" who frequents Derby Castle Station in Douglas and is fed by Isle of Man Railway staff and visitors. He isn't owned by anyone but the station is his home. He joined me whilst my mother and I were enjoying a drink at "The Terminus Tavern" which adjoins the...

www.flickr.com

And another from 2018

L2018_3039 - Brian - The Station Cat - Manx Electric Railway

"Brian" does not appear to actually belong to anyone. However, he has appointed himself the unofficial Derby Castle Station Cat and has been hanging around the station for some years. He can usually be seen around Derby Castle Station - the interchange between the Manx Electric Railway and the...

www.flickr.com

 

[Kath123]

I’ve heard that Andover station used to have a station cat called Jess but sadly he passed away in 2023

Andover: Tributes paid to Jess the railway station cat

Staff say Jess, who was often found snoozing in the ticket office, will be sorely missed.

www.bbc.com

 

[sh24]

Nala at Stevenage

Stevenage railway cat Nala 'breaks down barriers' at rush hour

Ginger cat Nala loves the attention she gets as commuters come and go at Stevenage's busy station.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[weepingwillowb]

Lee station (near Lewisham) had one in 1899.

Evening Express (Cardiff), Saturday 18.4.1899​

 

[Roger1973]

My favourite on in that collection is the Grantham cat Shag, who is recorded as having got on various trains and having to be returned home by staff from various stations, including Lincoln which would have involved a change!

I spent some time in Lincolnshire, and remember this being reported in the local paper. Someone from the railway was quoted as saying something along the lines 'he has managed to master changing trains, which is more than can be said for some of the passengers'

 

[Dr Hoo]

Chapel-en-le-Frith station (unstaffed) has been adopted by a grey silverback, called Lenny, who is very friendly. A fan made a statue of him (in the station garden). He regularly catches trains to Buxton or Whaley Bridge and back. He wears an ‘Air tag’ to enable his owner to keep track of his movements.

 

[contrex]

Around 1998 when I was at Entrevaux station on the narrow gauge Nice to Digne-les-Bains line (Chemins de fer de Provence) there were maybe a couple of dozen cats hanging around the station and tracks. There were a number of locals waiting for a train to Nice who amused themselves feeding bits of salami and ham to them. The lady who seemed to be in charge of the station said we could have one, but we had to decline! There is a tunnel mouth almost immediately north of the station. All at once, all of the cats simultaneously made a bee-line for the station building, and I realised they must have heard the train in the tunnel, long before any of the people. It arrived a few minutes later. Or maybe they knew the timetable?

 

[John Webb]

Many manual signal boxes had a pet cat. At ground level there was usually a long slot by which the signal wires and point rods left the box - and by which rats, mice and other vermin could enter the box, of course. So signal box cats were quite popular!

 

[Andy873]

My favourite on in that collection is the Grantham cat Shag, who is recorded as having got on various trains and having to be returned home by staff from various stations, including Lincoln which would have involved a change!

What a great story mind you, I did check it wasn't April fools day!

and remember this being reported in the local paper. Someone from the railway was quoted as saying something along the lines 'he has managed to master changing trains, which is more than can be said for some of the passengers'

Maybe some of the passengers should have consulted the cat first.

Lee station (near Lewisham) had one in 1899.

@weepingwillowb, another great newspaper find, thanks.

As a recap then, it seems cats were (and still are) very popular in and around railway stations, signal boxes etc.

What's interesting is that some of the cats were on the payroll, that I didn't know. It makes sense really as cats do indeed keep the mice and rats down, just think of the chaos rats could do at say a signal box chewing through cables and wires. Much simply to adopt a cat, feed and stroke it and let the cat do the rest.

Thanks everyone for all the fascinating replies and photos!

I've not come across any mention of cats from my old branch line but Rishton station close by on the East Lancs line had one. Pete who worked in the ticket office there sent me a photo of Smokey the cat. Not sure on the copyright so I can't post it here. The photo shows him curled up of the ticket office counter by the window. He would of course find his way into the office, and that nice comfy chair next to the fire!

Question - I'm presuming in the 1960's when lots of lines and stations were closed and many of the station buildings on remaining lines were removed along with the staff that some staff members would adopt them and take them home?

 

[weepingwillowb]

Found another one, from The Cornishman, 14.9.1933

​

 

[Roger1973]

What's interesting is that some of the cats were on the payroll, that I didn't know.

At a tangent, but the Post Office's sorting office cats were given official funding for 'maintenance of a cat'

Cats were first officially appointed by the Post Office to catch rodents in September 1868 (although there had undoubtedly been cats in post offices before). Three cats worked on probation at the Money Order Office in London, with an allowance of one shilling a week. They were given 6 months by the Secretary of the Post Office to reduce the mouse problem or they would be cut.

The postal museum's website has more.

 

[John Luxton]

At a tangent, but the Post Office's sorting office cats were given official funding for 'maintenance of a cat'

The Merchant and Royal Navy had quite a few cats as well for a mixture of rodent control and crew companionship some of which were considered part of the crew.

One cat Oscar / Sam managed to serve both the German and Royal Navy in World War II being one of the few survivors of the Bismarck sinking.

Quite a lot of info on ship cats here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship's_cat

 

[LickeyIncliner]

Many manual signal boxes had a pet cat. At ground level there was usually a long slot by which the signal wires and point rods left the box - and by which rats, mice and other vermin could enter the box, of course. So signal box cats were quite popular!

And some power boxes too, judging by the cat that makes a couple of appearances in John Schlesinger's film about Waterloo, "Terminus"

 

[Arglwydd Golau]

Many manual signal boxes had a pet cat. At ground level there was usually a long slot by which the signal wires and point rods left the box - and by which rats, mice and other vermin could enter the box, of course. So signal box cats were quite popular!

I would have thought that a cat was mandatory in a Signal Box! I remember a rather vivid and amusing
account of Caernarfon No. 1 box in Bill Rear's book 'From Chester to Holyhead -The Branch Lines' which I have just looked up again. Apparently 'ginormous' and 'fearless' rats lived in the interlocking room, and amongst other amusing anecdotes burly firemen would refuse to accompany 'timid' signalmen if they had to venture inside. Surprisingly no mention of cats! Eventually the box was closed and set alight and 'hundreds' of rats scurried down the tracks, persued by a couple of dogs who 'didn't know what to do with them'.