Meet the cute train station 'influencer' cat who helped save a ticket office from closure

Watch George the train station cat, and see how he wins the hearts of commuters, in this light-hearted video (click to play above), George, a ten year old ginger tom, has hundreds of thousands of followers on social media and now has his own Google Maps marker at Stourbridge Junction Railway Station.

Rat catcher patrols station

The ten-year-old ginger tom has been guarding the platforms in the role of "rat catcher" since his owner emigrated to Spain in 2017. Station supervisor Ian Tomlinson has adopted George who spends his days patrolling the station or curled up in the ticket office. With his growing online following, they have introduced a merchandise line, consisting of George themed hats, cups, coasters and calendars - all to help local charities.

George aided Stourbridge Junction to be named winners of the "World Cup of Stations" award in 2020 and helped save local ticket offices from closure last year. Station manager Simone Carter said at the time: “George first found his way into the station back in December 2017 and he’s been the star of the show ever since.

Train station cat tradition

“As well as helping us out in the booking office most days, George has been a fantastic addition to our team who work tirelessly to provide exceptional customer service to our passengers. I’m so proud of the team, and our wonderful ambassador George, for their hard work and determination."

George is the latest in a long tradition of station cats, a tradition dating back to the 19th century where trained cats would hunt down vermin on platforms. He has his own mouse catcher badge and is said to often leave members of staff dead rodents as 'gifts' for their hard work.