Intrepid Superhero Pets: Erik the Red
Erik the Red has retired from rodent control officer duties on CSS Acadia. He survived 16 winters on board CSS Acadia, a 102-year-old ship permanently moored outside the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax (NS), Canada.
The cat has served as rodent control officer on the ship since 1998. Erik's passion for the hunt was perfectly timed. His arrival was around the same time a building was being torn down near the ship. There was a surge in the number of field mice and rats that jumped on board, but they quickly learned their mistake.
Waterfront sensation
Erik's antics have made him one of the most famous personalities in the city. The cat was often seen wandering around the shops and restaurants on the waterfront.
"Living on board this museum ship, there can really be no life like the cat's life has been. He had free rein of the ship. We left the port light open for him at all times, he could come and go. He could control the docks, meet his peeps" said Steven Read, shipkeeper for CSS Acadia.
Time for retirement
Erik is now at least 18 years old, and starting to show his age. In retirement, the kitty will be moving inland, to share a home in Halifax's north end with his co-worker Read: "There's no extermination system that can go through the maze-like infrastructure on a ship and do as efficient a job as a cat probably could. But one of the problems with having a cat on board is you need them to bind and bond to the vessel itself."
We can say that Erik deserves the title of "Intrepid Superhero Pet"!
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