If There Are Carrier Pigeons, There Is A ‘Postcat’ Named Billy

• An unusual mail service developed between neighbors when a small note was attached to Billy the cat’s collar.
• Billy is now a “postcat” who delivers messages between his humans and their neighbors.
• Life experiences during the pandemic, recipes, and Netflix and podcast recommendations have already been exchanged between them.

Throughout history, animals have been used as messengers. As early as 1150, carrier pigeons were used in Baghdad and Genghis Khan also reportedly used them. Messages were strapped to their legs and they flew thousands of miles to deliver them.

But in modern times, sending an email, a text, or a message takes just seconds on the internet. Last year, a London cat revived the delivery service by carrying notes from his owners to his neighbors in his collar.

Meet Billy the “Postcat.”

My cat Billy became a postman in 2020, a thread: pic.twitter.com/WLPcfQeCAy— Zack King (@zacharyking) January 2, 2021

Zack King, Billy’s human dad, has been posting the message saga in a Twitter thread. 

It was actually his girlfriend who first noticed something on Billy’s collar. Folded in a plastic wrap was a note tied to Billy’s collar using a wire tie.

Signed “from your friendly neighbors,” the note explained Billy’s outdoor adventures as he stops by the nearby door. Although Billy lost his ID tag, the neighbors have started calling him Billy. The short note tells of their love for Billy and that they want to know to whom Billy belongs.

With no idea who or where the note had come from, she replied pic.twitter.com/xlQEmmb7Ha— Zack King (@zacharyking) January 2, 2021

King and his girlfriend quickly wrote back to say that Billy is indeed the cat’s real name. They added that they were happy to hear that Billy had them as friends.

This started the exchange of notes through Billy’s collar.

As King wrote on Twitter, “From this point on my girlfriend and an unknown neighbor became penpals, all through an oblivious feline postcat.”

The mail express has the friendly neighbors connected amidst the pandemic. They have exchanged recommendations of podcasts, Netflix show, stories of how they are handling the quarantine, and even recipes!

NB: turns out less is more with truffle oil pic.twitter.com/G4faimywtu— Zack King (@zacharyking) January 2, 2021

They even learned that while King and his girlfriend are Russian and English, their neighbors are Canadian. And they now found a way to share a link to Billy’s kitten photos.

The messages have also been bright and cheerful with the help of the colorful pens bought by King’s girlfriend for the exchanges.

It is not just the friendship among the humans that has gotten an upgrade.  Even Billy’s “mailbag” collar! From the notes wrapped in plastic, it is now bound in a small heart case.

Development 2: my girlfriend bought some colourful pens

NB: this squid stew was sublime (couldn't find taro, used sweet potato): https://t.co/VRBVVy4VqH pic.twitter.com/jAc2YbxHRf— Zack King (@zacharyking) January 2, 2021

But Billy lost the mailbag and resulted in an intense purrformance review.

Billy was unfazed, though, as he had a delivery for them immediately the next morning.

But he bounced straight back and was waiting for us with a delivery the very next morning pic.twitter.com/zvgQZHTd42— Zack King (@zacharyking) January 2, 2021

For his service, Billy receives unlimited love from both sets of humans plus lots of chin scratches. 

What a diligent postcat! You can check out the rest of the letters on Zack’s Twitter thread.

Source: Daily Paws