Benny the Fire Cat  

In 2001, a kitten took up residence at the Barbados Fire Service headquarters (Probyn Street). It seemed, that after a few days of observing the fire officers going about their duties, the kitten became quite interested in the unusual activities taking place at his new home.

The kitten appeared very keen to participate in the activities at the fire station and soon began to make his presence felt. He could be seen strolling the corridors, reporting for 'roll call' and generally hanging out with the fire fighters each day.

Clifford Becomes Benny

The station's personnel took notice of the kitten's “strange antics” and christened him “Clifford”, the name of a former Fire Chief who had just retired from the Service. During the next few weeks, personnel at the station started to become emotionally attached to the kitten and could be seen feeding him tuna, the only food Clifford would eat at the time.

A short time later, Clifford’s name was changed to Benny, a title the fire fighters felt fitted their furry friend. Over time, Benny was introduced to other foods by the fire fighters and soon became an integral part of life at the fire station. The warm reception given to Benny and the pleasant environment of the station made him feel at home.

What made Benny so much appreciated by everyone was his unusual interest in the fire fighters and their profession. Benny was adopted by the fire fighters and later became the Fire Service mascot, and the fire fighter's favourite cat