Ferry workers performed an unusual kind of water rescue Wednesday morning at the Clinton dock.
According to Dana Warr, deputy director of communications for Washington State Ferries, crew members aboard the Tokitae noticed a young cat on the wing wall of the dock, a tall structure that helps align ferry boats. They relayed the information to the terminal crew and those working on the Kitsap, the other vessel on the two-boat run from Clinton to Mukilteo.
Luckily, curiosity did not kill the cat, which fell into the cold water but was swiftly scooped up by the Kitsap crew’s rescue vessel that was deployed around 8:15 a.m. The kitten was found clinging to the pilings of the adjacent wing wall. It was transported to South Whidbey Animal Clinic in Clinton.
Eric Patrin, veterinarian and owner of the clinic, said the kitten arrived with a temperature below 90 degrees, according to a thermometer reading. For a cat, about 101 degrees is considered a normal body temperature.
Patrin started referring to the 4-month-old kitten as Bosun, a term meaning a ship’s officer in charge of equipment and the crew. Bosun’s temperature was brought up slowly with a warm water bath that also cleansed him of the diesel and grease left behind on his body from the boat.
Once he warmed up, his personality came out, and he was reticent about being evaluated by the vet.
“He was very apprehensive and nervous,” Patrin said. “So we were kind of thinking about, is this a cat that someone left on the ferry or is this a cat that kind of wandered down the ferry dock overnight two nights ago and just kind of jumped on?”
Since the cat had no microchip and no apparent owner, the question of where he came from will likely remain unanswered.
Thursday afternoon, the cat was adopted by a pair of ferry workers, who Patrin said have rechristened the kitten “Buoy.”
Veterinarian Eric Patrin named the rescued kitten Bosun. (Photo provided)
Coxwain Ryan Jones kept a tight hold on the rescued kitten from the emergency vessel that was launched. (Photo provided)
