"Colin's" the Cat (1993-2007)

"Colin's" was a female tortoiseshell cat who was rescued as an abandoned kitten from near Paritūtū around 1993. Originally named "Queenie", she was cared for by Port Taranaki employee Colin Butler, manager of Westgate's tanker terminal, but was given the name "Colin's" after he retired.

In November/December 2001 Colin's attained three weeks of worldwide fame when she 'stowed away' (or was 'cat-napped') on a methanol tanker, Tomiwaka, bound for South Korea. The Westgate team sent out a worldwide distress call and managed to locate the cat almost 10,000 kilometres away. Because of possible quarantine concerns in Korea, the errant moggy was to be transferred to a New Zealand-bound vessel at sea, but this was finally considered too dangerous.

News of the cat's plight spread worldwide and she was eventually flown back from South Korea to New Plymouth, accompanied by tanker terminal superintendent Gordon MacPherson and funded by cat food company Whiskas (who also gifted Colin's a lifetime's supply of cat food). A limousine met her at New Plymouth airport and television news cameras recorded the event.

Colin's lived out the rest of her days at Port Taranaki but, due to old age and sickness, was put down in 2007.

Related documents:

High-seas rescue planned for puss (Taranaki Daily News 27 Nov 2001)

Stowaway moggy gets her sea legs on tanker (Taranaki Daily News 28 November 2001)

Moggy's adventure takes an epic turn (Taranaki Daily News 29 November 2001)

Colin's relieved cat's coming home (Taranaki Daily News 1 December 2001)

Cat mate on a mission jets out for Korea (Taranaki Daily News 3 Dec 2001)

Puss in sea boots set to head home (Taranaki Daily News 4 Dec 2001)

The cat came back to hero's welcome (Taranaki Daily News 6 December 2001)

Gordon plans to give Colin's worldly advice (Taranaki Daily News 5 December 2001)

A silly story, but Colin's tale has done us all some good - Editorial (Taranaki Daily News 5 Dec 2001)

Go-Cat Advertisement (Taranaki Daily News 5 December 2001)

Whiskas Advertisement (Taranaki Daily News 6 December 2001)

Right royal revelation about Colin's (Taranaki Daily News 30 November 2001)

Famous cat meets her end and won't be replaced (Taranaki Daily News 16 May 2007)