We shall never surrender!
Posted on 08/05/2007 5:24:34 PM PDT by Jet Jaguar
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFPN) -- Fighting the war on rodent infestation, 95th Mission Support Group members here use a "military working cat" to help reduce the amount of damage to equipment caused by rodents living in the supply warehouse.
Wizzo calls the 95th Mission Support Group's supply warehouse his home, and the feline lives and works around the clock to help support the supply group's mission.
"Wizzo is our mobility rodent deterrent," said Heather Chapman, a 95th MSG warehouse specialist. "He was brought in for pest control and is earning his keep by doing his job."
The supply group first found a need for Wizzo when they noticed rodent droppings in and around some of the mobility bags, said Bill Martin, a contract manager for the base supply contract.
Mr. Martin said mobility bags that sit for an extended period of time can become prone to holes chewed in them from mice and rats. This renders the bags unserviceable, which costs the Air Force money and can create health issues from the droppings left behind.
Supply workers tried to correct the problem using various other methods before deciding to recruit the assistance of a cat. Nothing seemed to work until Wizzo arrived, Mr. Martin said.
"Poison doesn't work inside the warehouse," he said. "By eating the poison, the rodents just get sick and crawl behind walls and die."
"Maintaining Wizzo is low cost," said Jennifer Starr, a 95th MSG mobility lead supervisor. "Everyone in the supply warehouse contributes by donating supplies and food for him. It is really a team effort."
Wizzo meets the first person who comes through the door in the morning with his prey, Ms. Starr said. The cat drops it off at their feet as though he is offering them a gift or handing in an assignment.
So far, Wizzo has caught a bird, a rat and three mice, which officially makes him an ace. The supply team keeps his kill count posted on a board for him.
"It seems that whenever anyone starts to doubt his worth, he comes up with another mission completed," Ms. Starr said.
Put to work as the "weapons systems officer" for the warehouse, Wizzo is a little more than 1 year old and was adopted from a pet shelter in Lancaster, Calif.
During exercises and when there are a lot of people in and out of the supply warehouse, Wizzo is put in his cage.
However, after 4 p.m., Wizzo is left alone to hunt for his enemies, like a furry "Rambo" in a jungle of crates and supply bags.
A cat who serves this great country. Another American sucess story. His Eygptian ancestors would be proud. =^..^=
Looks like he has 6 stripes on his upper foreleg, guess that makes him a MSGT.
When I was in the USAF they used goats in the POL area to keep the grass trimmed in the tank farm where the jet fuel was stored. Maybe they still do.
They’re carrrying an RPG and an AK-47, plus wearing suicide bomber headbands. You might want to find another photo.
ping
If you want to find the national stock number for an item like Wizzo, look under “ball bearing mousetrap”.
We shall never surrender!
Growing up, my family adopted a street cat we called”thing”
It would go on war patrols for up to three weeks, then come back home to rest up, get fed and go out again. It killed everything it saw, including a rabbit it dragged accross the street, much to the dismay to my mom. Many a morning there would the remains of some poor rodent that had the misfortune to run into “Thing” deposited on the front doorstep.
One day”Thing” went out and never came back. I bet whatever killed it had a helluva time doing it.
Argh! I didn’t notice that. I can remove the headbands . . . even the RPG’s are out?
There was a warehouse cat at Tachikawa AFB Japan in 1958 known as “Master Sgt Sam Spitnik”, a big mean tabbie like this one.
(Sputnik was launched the year before, hence the name)
The tradition continues.
If one brought home a bird still alive, we’d try to nurse it. Otherwise, all we could do is thank the cat and dispose of his/her victim if kitty showed no more interest in it. Still, they are fascinating animals.
The three cats here now are indoor cats who occasionally hear noises but wouldn’t know what to do if they came upon a mouse.
Sounds like Tweek and Pippin!
My uncle had a giant siamese named “Chuck”, that was probably 20-25 pounds of solid muscle, claws and teeth. He would regularly beat their lab-mix dog senseless, spend all night hunting game such as rabbits, and even caught a full-size duck, which he devoured with the exception of the beak and the wings.
Definitely the headbands need to go. Guess the others could stay. I’ve read where our folks use foreign weapons to confuse the enemy.
Meh, rookie. This year alone my cat has killed (I know because I've had to police up the carcasses) 12 chipmunks, one juvenile squirrel, and at least 4 birds. And those are the ones I know about.
One chipmunk, or what was left of him (head and rump) was found in my living room after my dad let her in one day and didn't notice the prize she had. I must say, she was clean about it. Other than the two mentioned body parts, no other blood or guts in the carpet.
But I figure if Wizzo is only a year old, and as he learns his command; he'll up his body count.
Great story, JJ!
Cat PING, Sarge!
Ms.B
Mice, rabbits and birds including an adult Robin, and a successful battle with a nesting pair of Blue Jays ~ he deported them.
His best stunt was a Mother's day BBQ in our back yard. Dogs, kids, and folks hovering around the grill were surprised to see him strut through with a fresh bunny rabbit in his mouth. The groans and scoldings tapered off until about 10 minutes later he did it again!
Are you sure it was a cat, and not an ocelot or something similar?;)
It's still in the testing stages:
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