Mascot cat retires from mountain
MOUNT WASHINGTON, New Hampshire (AP) -- Neither strong wind nor high flames bothered Nin the cat during a dozen years patrolling the Northeast's highest peak as mascot of the Mount Washington Observatory.
It's retirement that bums him out.
The regal ex-stray with a bright white coat and black splotches was carried off the mountain Wednesday for the last time and will live with some park rangers in the valley below due to old age and a recent infection claiming the last of his teeth.
"He's 17 or 18 years old, so he's getting up there. We wanted to do the most humane thing for him," said Scot Henley, executive director of the nonprofit weather observatory.
Nin is moving in with Diane Holmes and Mike Pelchat, rangers at Mount Washington State Park, after years of petting and pampering from visitors and researchers alike.
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more:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/LIVING/worklife/12/27/cat.retires.ap/index.htmlFans of Nin already know about the photo gallery:
http://www.mountwashington.org/photos/galleries/?g=8