‘A gentle little soul’: A British railway station cat who rose to global fame has died aged 12.
ADVERTISEMENTSenior pest controller, charity fundraiser and global celebrity Felix the Huddersfield Station cat has passed away at the age of 12.
With a social media following of over 200,000, Felix “has left paw prints across the hearts of people from all over the world”, her owners wrote on her official Facebook page on Tuesday.
Her passing has elicited an outpouring of grief and love from fans who routinely missed their trains to pet her or admired her from afar.
“Devastating news”, commented one Facebook user. “Fly high, sweet girl. You were the best kitty cat”, said another. “I can hardly see through my tears. Such a gentle little soul and a friend of mine,” one person posted.
Felix spent her life ‘on duty’ at Huddersfield Station
Felix was adopted by train operator TransPennine Express as a kitten in 2011. After mistakenly being thought to be male, she kept her original name.
Over the past decade, she has brought joy to passengers travelling through the station in Yorkshire, England.
She spent most of her life ‘on duty’ at Huddersfield.
“Felix was more than a cat; she was a beloved member of our station family,” says Angie Hunte, Huddersfield Station Manager for TransPennine Express, who was with Felix until the very end.
“Her presence brought smiles to visitors from around the world, making Huddersfield Station a special place. We will miss her dearly.”
Felix passed away peacefully on 2 December after the discovery of a terminal illness, station staff confirmed.
Felix rose to fame in 2015
Felix rose to global stardom in 2015 when commuter Alan Hind created a Facebook page for her after encountering her on his commute from Huddersfield to Manchester.
She was soon promoted to Pest Controller by station staff, replete with her very own name badge and high-vis vest.
Cat lovers from around the world began making pilgrimages to the station to meet her, with her Facebook page receiving 24 million views each year.
Felix went above and beyond her role as a pest controller, providing cuddles and comfort to passengers on their daily commutes.
“[She] brought so much joy to so many every day” said one Facebook user. “Felix carried us through good times and difficult times over the years and brought so much comfort and joy to us all,” added another.
"Felix used to make my day," says Cathy Williams, a journalism student at Huddersfield University. She snapped this photo of her just a few weeks ago, when she encountered some fans who had travelled from Newcastle to meet Felix and had waited two hours for the famed feline to make her appearance.
Felix raised €280,000 for charity
As well as keeping the station pest-free and comforting passengers, Felix is a prolific charity fundraiser.
She was joined in 2018 by junior recruit Bolt. Together, the pair have raised more than £240,000 (€280k) for charitable causes through a yearly photo calendar.
ADVERTISEMENTThey have also been featured in two books: ‘Full Steam Ahead, Felix: Adventures of a famous station cat and her kitten apprentice’ and ‘Felix the Railway Cat’.
The station has encouraged fans to purchase the 2024 charity calendar in her memory, which will be released towards the end of the year, or to donate to the animal charity of their choice.
