This First Day Cover is from my daughter's collection of Cats on Stamps. It features a South Africa miniature sheet issued in 1998 for the SAPDA Stamp Exhibition. It has a Johannesburg special pictorial handstamp, 1~3-5-1998.
Cats have been on the official post office payroll for more than a century. (UK) Their job is to keep mice from nibbling the mail. Local Postmasters have authority to pay up to One Pound per week on pet food for the PO mousers. Mice Work if you can get it.
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News from the Archives (Sylvan Lake, Alberta)
In November, during the winter of 1992-'93, people in Sylvan Lake noticed that quite often when they went to get their mail at the post office downtown, they would see a cat by the door, or by the bench outside. Sometimes they would see the cat under the branches of the big spruce tree on the west side of the post office. The cat seemed to be friendly & he didn't bother anyone.The people who worked at the post office also noticed the cat. He seemed to be there when they came to work, & when they went home. Everyone began to wonder if the cat belonged to someone, if he was a stray, or if he was lost.
Once someone took him home & wanted him to be their pet, but he ran away & went back to the post office. One of the ladies who works at the post office, Mayra Chislett loves cats, so she brought some food for the cat. Marya noticed that the cat had a sore on his back, & she wanted to take him to see the vet, but she knew that that would cost a lot of money.
By this time everyone liked the cat so much they decided they would all give some money to pay for the cat's doctor bills. They collected over $80.00! It was very cold just before Christmas, so the vet said he would keep the cat at his clinic & wouldn't charge room & board for him.
Now the cat needed a name. So they decided to name him "Postie" because he is the post office cat. Pretty soon Postie was back at the post office, feeling & looking much better.
Someone brought an old piece of carpet & put it on the back of the bench, & that is where the cat sat. Just like a king on a throne. Everyone talks to him & lots of people pet him...some pick him up & hug him & even kiss him.
He must be the friendliest, most love cat in the whole world! Postie became a bit of "celebrity cat" as two boys took a video of him & he was on TV. So Postie stayed around the post office all winter & into spring. He would have his meals at the post office & sometimes sleep in a box under the big spruce tree.
Postie became so tame & accustomed to being around people that he became a little bit careless. One day, April 3, 1993, he was hit & killed by a car as he was crossing the street.
What a sad day for everyone! There were flowers & a card at the bench where he always sat. Someone brought alovely framed picture of Postie & left it at the post office to remember him by.
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Posted 12/30/2007 1:44 pm
