Nala (cat)

Nala is a ginger tabby cat from Stevenage, England, known for sitting at the ticket barriers in Stevenage railway station, where commuters can pet and take pictures of him. He rose to popularity in October 2023 in the local area and on the internet after his owner set up a Facebook group to share pictures of him.

In November 2023 there was an announcement on Nala's social media that the cat, which was previously thought of as female, was in fact male.

Life
Nala is a four-year-old moggy ginger tabby cat who lives a 10-minute walk from Stevenage railway station, with owners Natasha Ambler and Lewis Ames. He is an RSPCA rescue cat, and has a brother called Simba. Nala and his brother are both named after characters from The Lion King, which in turn mean 'gift' and 'lion' in Swahili.

He has always explored the local area from a young age, and visits the railway station morning and evening. He can often be found perching on the ticket barriers, where commuters can take pictures of and pet him. A few weeks after being let out for the first time, he was hit by a car, to which his owners attribute his becoming "street-smart" and learning to avoid roads and cars

He is an adventurous, outdoor cat, and has been fitted with a GPS tracking device so his owners can see where he travels. He often visits the railway station and nearby leisure park, and once spent most of the night in a cinema. In one week, Nala was recorded travelling 35 miles around Stevenage.

Nala wears a collar with his owners' details on it, but after receiving about 20 calls a day from people concerned that the cat was lost, his owners gave him a second tag to reassure people that he is not lost, he just likes to travel.

Popularity
In October 2023, Nala rose to popularity in the local area and on the internet after his owner created a Facebook page called "The Adventures of Nala", where hundreds of people shared their pictures of Nala. He drew national media attention, appearing on BBC News, Sky News, and ITV's Lorraine, where he was dubbed the "unofficial ticket officer" of Stevenage station. Shaun Smith, Great Northern's station manager at Stevenage, praised the effects Nala is having on the community, saying "She's breaking down barriers by making people smile and starting cheerful conversations between staff and customers".

In addition to the Facebook page, which has over 4,500 followers, Nala has accounts on TikTok and Instagram where pictures and videos of him are shared.