The claws are out! ‘Morale-boosting’ town hall cat faces eviction by mayor
As TOWN hall fat cats go, you’d think that Missy the moggy would spark less controversy than most.
But the official town cat of Tewkesbury – and ‘morale officer’ – is at the centre of a council row over calls for her to be kicked out of her position.
The campaign to evict Missy is being led by Karen Brennan, mayor of the Gloucestershire town, who says that the cat is distracting staff and could be a health and safety risk.
now a special town council panel has been tasked with deciding whether the cat should be allowed to stay.
Missy has been heading to the council’s offices almost every day since last summer, no doubt drawn to the bowl of cat food staff kept in the office for her.
A ‘meet the team’ page on the council’s website even features a picture of Missy at a desk with the title: ‘Morale officer and town cat.’ But Mrs Brennan has questioned whether staff should be petting Missy and cleaning her bowl rather doing their work.
The mayor also took issue with the smell of cat food and suggested that visitors to the town hall might be put off if they have cat allergies.
Mrs Brennan said: ‘An office is somewhere for business to be transacted and we don’t need a cat around – there are issues of health and safety, insurance, security.’ Meanwhile Missy’s supporters say that she is good for morale and pointed out that two former town clerks and a former mayor were allowed to bring their dogs to the office with no issues.
one councillor, who asked not to be named, branded the row ‘nuts’. he said: ‘The council should have better things to do. There are so many things we should be doing.’
Mrs Brennan said she had tried to resolve the matter informally, but was forced to follow a set procedure after a council worker complained.
Missy’s owner, who lives near the office, says that she has no problems with the cat’s council role.
The authority’s complaints process means that all issues should be put formally to the clerk or mayor, unless a resolution can be found.
The complaint is then acknowledged in writing within five days, but if the complainant is not satis
‘We’ll get them a goldfish instead’
fied a committee-led investigation is held. Twelve councillors were set to take part in the discussion on whether to evict Missy.
it is thought the issue was raised in a letter from an asthmatic councillor who is allergic to cats.
councillor chris danter was among those opposing Missy’s presence. she said: ‘People have brought up the fact that previous staff were bringing in their dogs, but they go home at the end of the day.
‘The cat does belong to somebody, with the cat you never know if it’s coming in or if it’s going out, if it will find somewhere else to sit, if it wanders around it will set the alarms off.
‘cats are their own people. That cat doesn’t belong to us. i have nothing against the cat but for the practicalities of the town hall, it is not on. it does live locally, it belongs to someone. Really they shouldn’t be encouraging it to that extent. it is the cost to the town hall that worries me. Maybe we will get them a goldfish instead.’
Fellow councillor Andy smith said he was still undecided over which way he would vote.
he said: ‘i haven’t made up my mind to be honest, it does seem a bit of a storm in a teacup.
‘There’s bigger things to worry about than a cat.’
Town crier Mike Kean-Price said he had encountered Missy only once in the town hall, but had experienced the havoc rogue animals could cause to civic life. he said: ‘i have only seen the cat once, but pets in town halls breaking burglar alarms can be a problem.
‘When i was mayor’s officer at sandwell the alarms kept going off in the West Bromwich town hall and it was because of a pigeon.
‘The fire brigade would rush out. i can see that point of view but that’s the sum total of my experience. There is merit in that argument.’