Meet the Stevenage Railway Cat Celebrity

While many cats love to go outdoors, they usually do not venture far from home. But some felines are the exception. One cat has even made a busy railway station in the UK, her second home.

While Nala, a four-year-old ginger cat has a home in Hertfordshire and a loving owner, the cat has always loved to wander and has an adventurous streak, reported the BBC. Her owner, Natasha Ambler fitted her with a GPS tracking device. But Nala’s favorite place to visit is the Stevenage railway station where she delights commuters every day.

Nala has become a local celebrity
Nala, who loves to perch of ticket barriers, has been praised for helping to build a sense of community amongst the commuters, according to The Daily Mail. She comes morning and evening to greet the hundreds of people who use the station. Ambler told the Daily mail that Nala comes when it is busiest because she loves the attention.

The staff at the station, including Shaun Smith, Great Northern’s station manager, have grown very fond of Nala. He told the BBC, “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.”

Nala’s adventures
Nala wears a collar with her name and owners details, reported BBC, but Ambler said that she was receiving around 20 calls a day from people telling her they found her cat. She had to make a second tag to tell people that Nala was not lost, she was just on an adventure.

According to the BBC, Nala usually just visits the station and a local park but on some days she travels far and wide. “Once she spent most of the night in a cinema and a friend had to go and bring her home,” Ambler said.

Nala is so popular that Ambler set up a Facebook page where people can post photos of their encounters with the ginger cat. One woman posted: “She makes my morning when I get the train to work. Another said: “Aww Nala is simply beautiful. The only real celebrity of Stevenage.”

When asked if she had any concerns about her cat’s adventures, 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.”