Caturday felid trifecta: The cats of Disneyland; a new cat book; Nimbus the Summit Cat; and 3 (count them, three) items of lagniappe

From Inside the Magic comes a story I’ve known for a while—but you might not. It’s about the feral cats that roam the original Disneyland at night, taking care of the rodent problem. Click below to see the story; excerpts are indented:

Excerpts:

It’s no news that Disney parks hide some special park features in plain sight, like the hidden suite in Cinderella Castle, Walt Disney’s apartment at Magic Kingdom in Disneyland Park, and the private members-only Club 33, also located in Disneyland Park.

However, Disneyland Resort in California focuses much of its attention on a “secret attraction” in Disney park 24/7, and they manage to hide it in plain sight. [JAC: Disneyland Resort comprises two parks, one of them the original Disneyland, which I went to once as a child.]

To be more exact, around 200 of these “secret attractions.” Yes, you read it right — There are about 200 feral cats at Disneyland! The adorable feral cat colony lives in the happiest place on earth.

. . . . There have been sightings going as far as 1955, soon after Disneyland opened.

The story goes: When Walt Disney decided that there should be an attraction inside the Sleeping Beauty Castle — what we know today as the Castle Walkthrough attraction — he brought engineers into the castle to begin the planning. But to his surprise, he was greeted by a feral cat colony that had made the court their home.

But the cats had brought a huge problem — an infestation of fleas. Walt Disney knew he couldn’t just get rid of the cats without sparking public uproar, so he adopted each cat and made them all Cast Members. By doing so, the problem seemed to be solved in the best possible way.

Unfortunately, things weren’t that simple. Due to the theme park’s rustic design, Disneyland had ironically brought unwelcomed guests to the park — rodents.

For Walt’s luck, not all feral cats had set home in the castle but other places around the park property. Those cats found their wonderland inside the park with a good source of food — the rodent population — plus, the park was a place free of the typical dangers that a stray cat faces. They would come out at night and hunt inside the park in peace.

Someone at the Disney company had a brilliant idea; allow the cats to live in the park. By nature, feral cats are scared of humans. Therefore they wouldn’t bother the park’s guests, and apparently, they were doing a better job at pest control than human exterminators.

The idea worked so well that the cat population at Disneyland still exists with over 200 felines! The kittens received a forever home at the happiest place on earth, and the theme park guests are always surprised and glad to spot one of the felines around the park. So, next time you are at Disneyland, keep an eye out for some whiskers, bushy fur tails, and significant cuteness.

After deciding to keep the cats, the Disney Company established protocols and ways to keep the cats and guests safe. Disney placed feeding stations around the property, the cats were all spayed/neutered, vaccinated the entire feral population, and Circle D Ranch Cast Members were assigned to care for the furry batch of Disneyland Cast Members. The cats a very well taken care of at Disneyland!

Mostly, the cats stay hidden during the day and roam around at night. But not all cats follow that rule. Park guests often spot the feral cats sleeping around the park or wandering around the park property during the day. For that reason, and as a general rule, Disney does not encourage guests to try to get too close or even pet the cats. They are better off remaining solitary and admired from a distance. But, by all means, take some pictures!

If, by any chance, a Disneyland cat starts getting too comfortable around park guests, Disney adopts the feline out to a Disney cast member. The same goes for any new litter of kittens accidentally born within any Disney property. So, please don’t encourage the cats to lose their permanent home inside the happiest place on earth.

If any of the Disneyland cats start to get too friendly around the park’s guests, or if a new cat litter is born, Disney decides to put them up for adoption to a Disney employee — So they are always part of the Disney family.

I knew that any company that makes its living by extolling animals would take care of cats this way! Has any reader who’s been to the original Disneyland seen these cats?

And here’s a video showing them, including Walt himself, holding stroking an orange moggy:

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The other day I got an unexpected package in the mail, and, opening it up, I found a wonderful picture book, large and full of glossy photos of domestic cats (both moggies and purebreds) as well as wild cats like tigers and lions. It’s published by Abrams Books, where the hardcover goes for $70 (only $49 at Amazon); the fantastic photos were taken by Tim Flach, and the text is by evolutionary biologist and ailurophile Jon Losos.  I figured out quickly that, because I reviewed Jon’s book The Cat’s Meow in the Washington Post, and favorably (I called it “the definitive book on the biology, ecology and evolution of the house cat{“). Jon had the book sent to me. I was right: Jon told me, “The publisher asked for suggestions about whom to send it to, and you immediately came to mind.”

I was delighted, and sent the photo below to Jon that day.

Flach, a British photographer specializing in animals, does spectacular work here’s a video he produced about the book:

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One of Flach’s photos from the book, somewhat degraded as I took it with an iPhone. But even so it’s mesmerizing.

Here’s an eight-minute video aired on CBS about Flach and his photos of cats (and other creatures):

This book would make a great Christmas present for ailurophiles, and you can get it for less than fifty bucks on Amazon. Have a look!

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Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire has some of the worst weather in the United States. Located atop the eponymous 6,288-foot mountain, it has human residents who stay for a week at a time, but also a cat, Nimbus, who’s a permanent resident.  The Observatory is a private, nonprofit organization aimed at producing scientific data, and Wikipedia says this:

The U.S. Signal Service, a predecessor to the Weather Bureau, occupied the summit and kept records from 1870 to 1892. Starting in 1932, the current observatory began keeping records. On April 12, 1934, the observatory staff recorded a wind gust of 231 mph that at the time was the highest recorded wind speed in the world, a record that was held until 1996. [JAC: the new record was set in 1996 “at Barrow Island, Australia during Typhoon Olivia. According to the report, the new record stands at 253 mph.”] The observatory’s weather data have accumulated into a valuable climate record since. Temperature and humidity readings have been collected using a sling psychrometer, a simple device containing two mercury thermometers. Where most unstaffed weather stations have undergone technology upgrades, consistent use of the sling psychrometer has helped provide scientific precision to the Mount Washington climate record.

The observatory makes prominent use of the slogan “Home of the World’s Worst Weather”, a claim that originated with a 1940 article by Charles Brooks (the man generally given the majority of credit for creating the Mount Washington Observatory), titled “The Worst Weather In the World” (even though the article concluded that Mt. Washington most likely did not have the world’s worst weather). The Sherman Adams summit building, named for the 67th Governor of New Hampshire, houses the observatory; it is closed to the public during the winter and hikers are not allowed inside the building except for emergencies and pre-arranged guided tours.

It’s dire up there in winter; here’s a photo from 2004:

The observatory has a page on “History of cats on the mountain,” showing that they go back to the 1930s, and there has been one ever since I can remember. The current resident, Nimbus (formerly “Greg”) came from The Conway Area Humane Society, and while he goes out in summer, he’s always well taken care of and well fed. You can read “20 FAQs about Nimbus, the Summit Cat“, and here’s an excerpt (Nimbus wrote it himself):

10. What does Nimbus like to do all day?

When I am not outside, I enjoy begging for treats from the Observers and taking naps on the couch or on someone’s lap. At night, I like to hunt for mice and I take that role very seriously; after all, it is my purrsonal responsibility to keep the rodent population in check.

11. What is Nimbus’ personality like?

I consider myself a sociable cat and I like to use meows, chatters, and purrs to get the attention of staff members and visitors.

12. Does Nimbus live at the summit year round?

Besides my occasional routine visit to the doctor, I do live at the mountain year round. When I do take a trip down to the valley, though, I always forget how there is 20% more oxygen at the base of the mountain than at the summit.

13. Does Nimbus like the winter season at the summit?

I am less than thrilled when the weather turns colder, snowier, and windier at Mount Washington in the winter. So, most days, the observers will find me enjoying the warmth of our living quarters. Sometimes, I’ll even lay directly on the heater in the living quarters when I am not warm enough.

Here’s Jen, the “Good News Girl,” narrating some video and facts about the Summit Cat:

And an Instagram post from the Observatory showing all the cold-weather gear that Nimbus has acquired. I seriously doubt, though, whether he ever dons this stuff. But look at his booties!

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Lagniappe 1: Larry the Cat in a photobomb

Lagniappe 2:  Cat vs. d*g (cat wins!)

Lagniappe 3: Cat vs. snow. Click on the picture to go to the video:

h/t: Andrew, Phil