[Trivia] Stations with cats

[PlatformEdgeVT]

Chorlton station on the Manchester Metrolink has a cat named Batman.

 

[AndyPJG]

Andover station had a cat called Jess, although I've got no idea if the cat is still around as I've not used the station in a while.

BBC News

Andover: Tributes paid to Jess the railway station cat

Tributes have been paid to a much-loved cat who lived at a railway station.
Jess, who was looked after by staff at Andover station in Hampshire after his owner abandoned him, passed away earlier this week.
Originally thought to be female, the black and white cat was named Jessica by staff when he first began visiting the area 13 years ago.
On a sign posted in the station, employees wrote the 19-year-old feline would be "sorely missed".

IMAGE SOURCE,TRACEY JONES
Image caption,
Jess was a black and white "tuxedo" cat
Described as "gentle" and "loving" by staff, Jess spent most of his time roaming the platforms, keeping passengers company whilst they waited for the next stage of their journey.
Tracey Jones, one of the workers who took care of Jess, said it would not be the same without him.
"I'm devastated that I've lost him. Everyone from the community is just as upset and we've had such a massive amount of messages and support from everyone - it's amazing how much of an impact he had on so many people," she said.

IMAGE SOURCE,TRACEY JONES
Image caption,
The elderly cat was well-known by regular train passengers
Ms Jones noticed a lump on Jess' side two weeks ago, and when vets were unable to easily determine whether it was cancerous, it was decided he was too old to be put through surgery.
By Monday, Jess had deteriorated and a second lump had appeared, so a decision was made to put him to sleep.
Ms Jones said he was a local legend in Andover and was always keen for a cuddle.
"Customers were generous with donations of food, treats, helping towards vets bills and even filling up his stocking at Christmas," she added.

IMAGE SOURCE,SARAH CORNELL
Image caption,
Ms Jones said Jess' owners moved from their house across from the station and left him behind
In a sign posted at the station, employees wrote:
"It is with a heavy heart that we must share the sad news that our beloved Jess (the station cat) at Andover has passed away.
"Jess is going to be sorely missed by all the staff, regular passengers, and the local community that Jess had such a big impact on.
"We believe Jess reached the ripe old age of 19 and was well loved and cared for by Tracey and Chris in the ticket office as well as all the other staff members who had the pleasure of working in the ticket office alongside Jess.
"Our thoughts are with everyone who is affected by the loss of Jess."
South Western Railway said the station would be discussing a way to commemorate the feline.

IMAGE SOURCE,TRACEY JONES
Image caption,
Staff say the station will not be the same without him

(Thanks to @Cowley for reopening thread)

 

[M&NEJ]

Kirkby Stephen East (the Stainmore Railway preservation group) has a cat called Barras who recently sired 2 off-spring.

 

[Skie]

Unfortunately the cat at Liverpool South Parkway, also sadly passed away earlier this year

Calls for statue to honour Liverpool station cat

Fans of a cat which frequented a railway station for 13 years want to honour the "little legend".

www.bbc.co.uk

Article comments on the Passengers and Merseyrail staff desire for a statue to honour their feline friend.

 

[Rescars]

Years ago I heard the story somewhere about the Inter-City Kitty. Based I think at Crewe, but often seen on trains? Anyone know more?

Related to Skimbleshanks perhaps?!

 

[Deepgreen]

Felixstowe should have one...

 

[D6130]

Felixstowe should have one...

....and Tomatin must surely have had one when it was still open to passengers? (Let's also give an honourable historic mention to the town in Devon which once had two stations and sounds very much like 'Tabbystock'!)

 

[edwin_m]

Purrfleet should surely have several.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

There is also one at Stevenage I think, saw some posts about it on twitter earlier in the week.

https://twitter.com/captain_deltic

Scroll down a couple of items on Roger Ford's site to find a pic of Nala, guarding the barrier at Stevenage.

 

[AndyPJG]

BBC News, Hertfordshire

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

IMAGE
Nala knows when she will get the most fuss from commuters
By Helen Burchell
BBC News, Hertfordshire

A cat that made a busy railway station its second home has been delighting commuters with its adventures.
Ginger cat Nala has been photographed hundreds of times at Stevenage station, usually perched on a ticket gate.
Owner Natasha Ambler set up a Facebook group where hundreds of people have posted photos of their encounters.
She said Nala loved the attention and headed for the station both morning and evening as "she knows what time the commuters will be there".
The station manager said she was "breaking down barriers" and creating a community for local passengers.
The cat is three years old and although she lives close to the station - and has a loving home - she is very much an outdoors cat, Ms Ambler said.

IMAGE SOURCE,ADVENTURES OF NALA
Image caption,
Nala has been fitted with tags to tell people she is not a lost cat
Nala has always been adventurous, and is fitted with a GPS tracking device, so her humans have been able to see how widely she travels.
"She used to go to the other side of the M1 motorway via an underpass, but now she mainly visits the railway station and the next door leisure park," said Ms Ambler.
"Once she spent most of the night in a cinema and a friend had to go and bring her home."

IMAGE SOURCE,ADVENTURES OF NALA
Image caption,
It is hard to pick up your free paper when it has become a cat bed...
Nala wears a collar bearing her name and the details of her owners, but Ms Ambler said at one point she was receiving "about 20 calls a day from people asking if our cat was lost".
"We had to get a second tag made up to tell people 'she's not lost'."
Asked if she was concerned about her cat's escapades, Ms Ambler said: "Not at all, she's obviously well-loved and she's very happy doing what she does - I just hope one day she doesn't actually try to get on a train."

IMAGE SOURCE,ADVENTURES OF NALA
Image caption,
She's always on the lookout for the next cuddle from a commuter
Shaun Smith, Great Northern's station manager at Stevenage, is also enamoured with their resident cat.
He commented: "She's breaking down barriers by making people smile and starting cheerful conversations between staff and customers - helping our team and our tenants at the station feel part of the local community, which is rewarding for everyone."

 

[Taunton]

Good while ago now, but Birkenhead North had a longstanding (and long-lived) black-and-white one, which inhabited the main buildings and the Down platform, often in summer curling up extremely close to the edge of the latter, and well within the yellow line markings! It was regularly commented on by passengers in Up trains when stopped, looking across to that side.

 

[Morayshire]

Funnily enough, today is apparently National Cat Day.

Attached is a screenshot from Linkedin of a Network Rail post celebrating National Cat day.

Mentions Holly the Holyhead cat, Hector at Redruth, Felux at Huddersfield and an unnamed tabby cat at Euston.

I prefer dogs to cats myself but it is raining and I've nothing better to do!

 

[Western Gaffer]

I prefer dogs to cats myself but it is raining....

Particularly heavily by any chance?

 

[Ashley Hill]

Hector at Redruth

I haven’t seen him for a long time.

 

[John Luxton]

Andover station had a cat called Jess, although I've got no idea if the cat is still around as I've not used the station in a while.

Jess apparently had to be put to sleep in last few days was very elderly and had developed a tumour. Was reported on his Facebook page.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Oct 2023 ==

Liverpool South Parkway

Paul, the Liverpool South Parkway can't died early 2023. There are plans to create a tribute to him.
BBC News - Calls for statue to honour Liverpool station cat

Calls for statue to honour Liverpool station cat

Fans of a cat which frequented a railway station for 13 years want to honour the "little legend".

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[DustyBin]

Particularly heavily by any chance?

 

[leytongabriel]

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

 

[James H]

Border station Latour de Carol-Enveitg in the Pyrenees has a station cat

 

[EllieAquitrain]

I don't think it's even an unofficial station cat there, but my girlfriend and I had a lovely time patting a cat that showed up on the northbound platform at Kew Gardens when we visited a year ago!

 

[DaveHarries]

Yeovil Pen Mill had a cat called, IIRC, Tom who spent much of his days and time in the signalbox. Last time I was there though I was told he had deceased.

Dave

 

[Beebman]

From BBC News: Stevenage cat hopes for chart hit with Christmas single

The single 'Meow' is available digitally on Spotify and YouTube by searching for 'Nala the Station Cat' - the following link works for me on YouTube:

 

[Dr_Paul]

There's a one-eyed tabby, whose name escapes me, who lives near Teddington station and often wanders up and down the platforms. I've seen him several times over the years.

My dad once slipped over at Tottenham Court Road station and was taken by a member of the station staff to a staff-only room at the bottom of what had been a list-shaft. Sitting on the desk was a large tabby cat, something he didn't expect to see.

There was a very grumpy black and white cat at Sheffield Park, with his own chair in the bookshop. There was a warning sign, telling people not to stroke him. He died at a pretty advanced age, some years back.

 

[mm333]

Max the cat hangs around Brownhills West station on the Chasewater railway and has a Facebook presence.

 

[urbophile]

Gipsy Hill's cat is very well known and even had its own twitter feed (even the local MP commented!). Was always nestled on the Oyster reader on the up platform. https://twitter.com/TheGipsyHillCat

Had? Was? Is he/she still alive?

 

[co-tr-paul]

I haven’t seen him for a long time.

See his Facebook page. Sadly no longer with us

 

[Joey Beauchamp]

From BBC News: Stevenage cat hopes for chart hit with Christmas single

The single 'Meow' is available digitally on Spotify and YouTube by searching for 'Nala the Station Cat' - the following link works for me on YouTube:

Nala should have covered Wild World or Peace Train for the b side, under her pseudonym... Cat Stevenage

 

[DJ_K666]

Didn't Arnos Grove Underground station used to have a cat there?