GORHAM, N.H. — The staff at the Mount Washington Observatory (MWO) have adopted a new cat, Nimbus, who will be living on the summit of Mount Washington.
According to a release from MWO marketing and communications director Krissy Fraser, Nimbus will share his name with large gray clouds that bring precipitation. She said the prefix “nimbo” or suffix "nimbus" can be attached to a cloud type, such as nimbostratus or cumulonimbus, signifying that the cloud is precipitating.
Fraser said cats have been a part of the observatory family since its founding in 1932. Prior to the New Year, the mountain's summit weather station lost its longtime resident cat Marty, who was beloved by MWO staff, Mount Washington State Park employees, and thousands of visitors from around the world. Earlier this spring, Fraser said MWO summit operations manager Rebecca Scholand began the search for a new cat, working closely with the Conway Area Humane Society (CAHS).
“With the passing of Marty in late 2020, we started the search for a new cat knowing it would have big paws to fill,” Scholand said. “The summit cat is such a special part of our living environment on the summit, making it feel much more like a home on our week-long shifts.”
After meeting with four cat candidates from CAHS, MWO observers all agreed on a Gray Shorthair, and with staff input, the name Nimbus was chosen.
Fraser said Nimbus’ journey began in Oklahoma with the Skiatook Paws and Claws Animal Rescue before he was transferred to CAHS. After quite a winding road, he was officially welcomed to the summit of Mount Washington on April 14, 2021. According to Fraser, reports from observers so far are that Nimbus is "a very sociable cat who uses a wide variety of meows, chatters and purrs to keep their attention and express happiness with his new home."
