Working Cat
Friday, May 30th, 2008Work and cats don’t usually go together. Our pampered pet cats no longer have to hunt rodents for a living, and these days, working is considered a canine trait. The story that one of our forum members, catsknowme, brought to our attention is certainly unusual in that respect.
It’s the story of Tama, a tortoiseshell cat, born and raised in the a small train station in Japan. When the railroad company – Wakayama Electric Railway – decided to shut down the station, they jokingly appointed Tama as the Stationmaster. To their surprise, not only did the cat stuck around (according to the article, she does have a caregiver in a nearby shop, and the company pays for Tama’s food), but she actually did a good job, as the number of passengers using the line keeps increasing.
Well, being so good at her job, Tama was promoted to the rank of “Super Stationmaster”. One of 36 top managers of that rank, she is the only female there, believe it or not.
Myself, I am worried mostly about this cat being left unsupervised for long hours in a train station. The thing most on my mind… is Tama spayed? Does she get proper vet care? So, fun story, or borderline abuse by a big company? Make up your own mind and let us know by adding a comment here -
http://www.thestar.co.za/?fSectionId=&fArticleId=nw20080525120728705C537945#
