Royal Mail to evict beloved pet cat from sorting office

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... rules.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

What would Postman Pat say? Royal Mail to evict beloved pet cat from sorting office after five years under health and safety rules
Stray visits Stratford posties every day for food and cuddles

But Royal Mail bosses want him out on health and safety grounds

More than 1,000 join campaign to keep the animal, called simply 'Cat'

A stray cat adopted by posties is to be evicted because Royal Mail bosses believe it breaches health and safety guidelines to have an animal on the premises.

The black Tom has visited Stratford-upon-Avon's sorting office every day for the past five years, putting a smile on the faces of staff - just like Postman Pat and his beloved companion Jess.

He has been adopted by 100 staff but is facing a workplace ban after managers ruled he was a risk, adding it was not 'ideal' having a cat around

Royal Mail staff have fed and cared for him since 2008 and say the feline, who they just call 'Cat', has become part of the team.
Almost 1,000 people have joined a Facebook group called 'Save Our Cat' in less than a week, and inspired on Twitter, with #savethestratfordcat trending.

A postman who has worked there for 13 years, who wanted to remain anonymous 'because we could probably lose our jobs for this', said: 'We can't see the reason why he has to go because he doesn't harm anyone. It's pathetic. It is a pointless exercise, why are they trying to do it?'

Another worker, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals, said: 'The area manager came in and said "the cat has to go for health and safety reasons".

'We are all angry and upset. It is health and safety gone mad. The cat does not do anything wrong. Everyone has a bond with the cat.

He is part of the team and the furniture, he has done five years service. He is ours. He gets lots of fuss and cuddles and has even got its own ball and stash of food'.

Friend: The cat, known as 'Cat', is shown here on the sorting office's steps, but he is about to be rehoused

A third staff member added: 'He has been there longer than most of the managers so how can they possibly demand its eviction? He does not get in anyone's way or cause problems, it just sits around. He's here when we open up at 3.30am and he's usually the last to leave at night.

'We are in uproar. It is our cat. It is ludicrous'.

Postwoman San Smith posted on the Facebook page: 'Save the Cat, he was with me through my interview in the chair beside me, please save the cat :)'

Alexander Gibbons, who works at the sorting office, said: 'Postman Pat has a cat on delivery. Together, we will save this poor b*****. Look how cute he is! :)'

Kerry Bambridge, another postal worker, said: 'Save our cat! If it makes a difference ill get the tipex out so he's white too and call him Jess!' (sic)

Relaxed: The popular cat has visited every day for the past five years, and eats and sleeps on the premises as the postal workers love him

Cherylyn Pitcher said: 'It's never Postman Pat without Jess', while Sharon Brown posted: #Come on fellas, we can do this, beat the royal mail nd save the cat' (sic).

Royal Mail confirmed they were looking for a sanctuary that would take in 'Cat' and a transport cage appeared at the depot earlier this week.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: 'Although this stray cat has become a regular visitor to the good natured postmen and women in our sorting office, we will be speaking to a local animal welfare charity to find a suitable permanent loving home for the stray.'


Sad: Despite a campaign by staff and local people, bosses are said to have brought this cat transporter in, ready to move the stray cat on

But the employees think the owner lives nearby the depot and say it would be wrong for Royal Mail to re-home the helpless puss.

'We gave him a collar but it was taken off. We tried to find a home for him but he has never wanted to go home,' another said.
Local people have condemned Royal Mail with many saying 'shame on them' over the red-tape madness.

Kado Crocker said: 'What a shame that H/S are getting rid of this cat. Don't they know he could keep vermin down. Also its beneficial too workers so they work better and more relaxed

What are they going too do with him if he cant be found a home.'

[knackeredneedadayoff]

Typical i bet he does more work than the managers

[oypostie]

Guess he must have pinched the milk for the managers coffee

[DGP1]

Guess he must have pinched the milk for the managers coffee

Maybe it sh*t in the DOMs coffee

[Darren Bent]

No common sense. I would love to know what the daft H&S reasons are. It is not a lion.

[DB1100]

No common sense. I would love to know what the daft H&S reasons are. It is not a lion.

Because it wouldn't wear its hi vis when in the yard.

[UnhappyGremlin]

Guess he must have pinched the milk for the managers coffee

Maybe it sh*t in the DOMs coffee

Wonder if you could train a cat to do that? Be worth trying.
Did the cat get a 5 year service award?

The cat probably assists H&S by catching/killing mice and rats that can spread disease. It's obvious to me that management are jealous because the posties actually LIKE the cat, whereas they don't like the managers, who are proving just how big a bunch of bastards they are.

[UnhappyGremlin]

I dare someone to fill out and submit a grievance in the cats name.

[baldrick]

We used to have a cat at our MC years ago. Don't know what happened to him, but we could do with a few cats now. The basement where our lockers and rest room/self mess area are currently located, is overrun with mice. World Class Mail Centre!

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Royal Mail no longer evicting cat and are now paying for vet fees

http://www.stratford-herald.com/local-n ... -fees.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

THE ROYAL Mail have had a change of heart this week and paid for the veterinary fees of a cat that last week they wanted to evict from the Stratford-upon-Avon sorting office because of ‘health and safety’.

On Tuesday, one of the line managers took the creature simply known as ‘cat’ to the vets’ surgery inside Pets at Home on the Maybird centre.

A whip-around in the office was not enough to cover the fees, and with cat – who has a mouth infection - due to go back in a fortnight to have two teeth removed, the Royal Mail agreed to pay the rest of the fees. Fees which could end up costing hundreds of pounds.

According to the postmen, the company have also given up trying to get rid of the black moggy that has lived in the sorting office off Birmingham Road for five years.

“He’s staying with us for the moment,” said the postie. “But he’s actually a lot poorlier that we thought he was so in the long term we have all agreed that it is best for his health if he finds a proper home.”

The ‘Save Our Cat’ Facebook campaign now has over 2,000 members, and dozens of people have offered to take in the eight-year-old kitty.

“It’s crazy, we’ve had people from Canada, Australia, Mexico and Spain all offering to take him in,” said our postman.

The 50 or so employees at Stratford’s sorting office started the campaign after the Royal Mail tried to evict their cat last week.

A new area manager said ‘health and safety’ rules meant the cat had to go, but the postmen wanted it made clear that this was nothing to do with the management in Stratford, who have all helped take care of the cat.

Now he is seeing professional vets, and with no eviction looming over him, cat is now on the mend, and with so many offers, the only thing worrying him these days is picking where to go.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.stratford-herald.com/local-n ... urrey.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

THE ROYAL Mail cat is being re-homed this Saturday but under the guide of the Stratford-upon-Avon postmen who wanted to keep him rather than the managers who wanted him evicted.

Cat, as he is simply known, is being taken to a sanctuary in Camberley in Surrey, because he requires a level of care and attention that the postmen cannot give him.

Taken to the vets last week because of a mouth infection, the stray cat can no longer live at the Stratford sorting office off Birmingham Road.

Gil Mathews, who runs the 35-strong Kumfy Katz rescue team in Surrey, helps find new homes for abandoned or stray cats. But ‘Cat’ is too ill for a new home.

“He’s not going to be up for homing,” she told the Herald. “Instead, he’s coming to our sanctuary. I have four other cats here who for one reason or another are not able to be rehomed. So many people asked us if they could have him.”

The sanctuary is actually Gil’s own home, but she said because of his medical condition, he cannot be given to a family.

After the Royal Mail paid for ‘Cat’ to see the vet last week, Gil will be taking him to specialist dental vet Fred McKenzie, who she described as one of the top four in the country.

“Fred is going to give him a real good check-up under anesthetic,” she said.

Gil has now taken over the ‘Save Our Cat’ Facebook page from the postmen, and will be updating its 2,000 members on ‘Cat’s’ progress from now on.

The postmen were sad to lose their ‘Jess’ after fighting so hard for him to stay, but when they were unable to locate its owner, and he was diagnosed with a mouth infection, they felt it was best for the cat’s health.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

This is like one of those fables or instructional tales on how not to do something. I think RMs intentions have been achieved, and probably with the exact outcome they wanted - yet because of the way it was handled it was a local PR blunder.

[Darren Bent]

Will the cat get Stage 1 Warning for 14 days sickness.

[UnhappyGremlin]

Think he's already got IHR......