The Hatching Cat of Gotham

HONOR A HERO CAT: SIGN THE PETITION FOR JERRY FOX!

Ten years ago, I wrote about my favorite hero cat of Old New York, Jerry Fox. Described as an enormous tiger cat “of striking appearance,” Jerry Fox performed heroic deeds during his 28-year reign as Brooklyn’s official cat.

Although he was nearly blind and wore glasses, Jerry even helped save Brooklyn City Hall (today’s Brooklyn Borough Hall) from burning down in 1904.

Not only is Jerry Fox featured in my first book, The Cat Men of Gotham, but his amazing story is also the last one I tell on my Cats About Town walking tour of Brooklyn Heights.

As my tour guests sit on the steps of the very building that Jerry helped save, I share how the beloved mascot of Terry Fox’s cafe made the rounds of the neighborhood every day, always checking every floor of every government building to make sure nothing was wrong.

One day in May 1904, our hero cat came upon an open office in City Hall, where a careless judge had left a burning cigar on his desk. Papers on the desk caught fire, and had it not been for Jerry’s cries for help, the entire office may have gone up in flames–or even worse.

At the end of every tour, I ask my guests to visit our Cats About Town website and sign the petition (see the link at the very top of the page) to help ensure Jerry Fox’s remarkable story is remembered and celebrated. Our hope is to collect enough signatures to submit the petition to local government officials and representatives so that they will consider placing a plaque or maybe a spectacled cat statue at Brooklyn Borough Hall.

If you would like to help honor a true hero cat of Brooklyn, please take a minute to sign our petition. Wouldn’t the steps of Brooklyn Borough Hall look fabulous with a statue like this one? We sure think so!

HONOR A HERO CAT: SIGN THE PETITION FOR JERRY FOX!

If you would like to check out some scenes from the Cats About Town walking tour of historical Brooklyn Heights, check out the story and video featured on NBC News.