Mystery cat takes regular bus to the shops (OT)

May 19, 2007

Mystery cat takes regular bus to the shopshttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=447527 & in_page_id=1770Last updated at 17:08pm on 9th April 2007

Bus drivers have nicknamed a white cat Macavity after it has started using the No 331 several mornings a week.

The feline, which has a purple collar, gets onto the busy Walsall to Wolverhampton bus at the same stop most mornings - he then jumps off at the next stop 400m down the road, near a fish and chip shop.

Scroll down for more...

The cat, nicknamed Macavity, has one blue eye and one green eye

The cat was nicknamed Macavity after the mystery cat in T.S Elliot's poem. He gets on the bus in front of a row of 1950s semi-detached houses and jumps off at a row of shops down the road which include a fish and chip shop.

Driver Bill Khunkhun, 49, who first saw the cat jumping from the bus in January, said: "It is really odd, the first time I saw the cat jumping off the bus with a group of passengers. I hadn't seen it get on which was a bit confusing.

"The next day I pulled up on Churchill Road to let a couple of passengers on. As soon as I opened the doors the cat ran towards the bus, jumped on and ran under one of the seats, I don't think any of the passengers noticed.

"Because I had seen it jump off the day before I carried on driving and sure enough when I stopped just down the road he jumped off - I don't know why he would catch the bus but he seems to like it. I told some of the other drivers on this route and they have seen him too."

Since January, when the cat first caught the bus he has done it two or three times a week and always gets on and off at the same stops.

Passenger, Paul Brennan, 19, who catches the 331 to work, said: "I first noticed the cat a few weeks ago. At first I thought it had been accompanied by its owner but after the first stop it became quite clear he was on his own.

"He sat at the front of the bus, waited patiently for the next stop and then got off. It was was quite strange at first but now it just seems normal. I suppose he is the perfect passenger really - he sits quietly, minds his own business and then gets off."

______________

14 people have commented on this story so far. Tell us what you think below. Here's a sample of the latest comments published. You can click view all to read all comments that readers have sent in.

In 1970 my husband and I were living just off campus at The University of Massachusetts in Amherst, we had the best dog ever and everyone on campus knew him. He used to do the same thing as the cat. When I would walk up the street to walk to work he would follow me to the bus stop and when the doors opened he would get on the bus and then when the bus got to the dining commons he would get out. And then he would come home the same way. He was such an amazing animal and everyone loved him. He went missing for like a week and finally we got a call from someone who knew someone that knew us. They told us that the dog had been injured and we should go and pick him up. When we got him home we could tell he was really sick. His breath smelled really bad and he was so lethargic, my husband took him to the vet and they had to wire his jaw. He had gotten hit with a baseball bat while trying to play baseball with a group of students. He recovered well. I miss Hippy.- Ann-Marie, Norton, MA

That's a beautiful story - my Cat Cleopatra gets a limousine to Asda to get her favourite biscuits...- Kiran Mal, Warrington, UK

We had cats and they are much more clever than people think! I loved this story because it was fun to read in a time of depressing news. I just hope the article doesn't bring the 'Long Paws' of Blair's Britain laws on such a nice and unique cat. I'm sure kitty will now be headed for the brig or worse when someone complains about a 'dirty' cat! We need more news like this!- Dr. S.A. Suleiman, Minneapolis, MN, USA

May 28, 2007

NWRaven writes:

Bus drivers have nicknamed a white cat Macavity after it has started using the No 331 several mornings a week. The feline, which has a purple collar, gets onto the busy Walsall to Wolverhampton bus at the same stop most mornings - he then jumps off at the next stop 400m down the road, near a fish and chip shop.>>

Don't get between that cat and his daily fish dinner!

..