Washed-up cat sparks mystery

A castaway cat used one of her lives to swim safely to shore on Governors Island last weekend. The feline floater, her fur matted and caked with seaweed, was discovered on Sunday night by security guards on the remote island's north shore, a spokeswoman said.

"The assumption is that she came over by water," said Elizabeth Rapuano, the park's director of marketing and communications. "She was wet. Her fur was salty." Workers suspect drenching rains in New Jersey, part of a ferocious weekend storm that hit the Southeast and killed at least 45 people, may have swept her up, causing her to doggy-paddle across New York Harbour.



"She's very friendly," Rapuano said of the cat, whose name and age are unknown. "She likes people." The flirty feline has already purred her way into the hearts of staff, who feed her cans of tuna and cat food near the docks for the Manhattan ferry boats.

"She's a great addition to Governors Island," Rapuano said. "It's certainly a surprise to have her, but a welcome one." She said the cat appears to be in good shape after the swim.

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