Maine Coon who lived at 6,288 feet above sea level has died unexpectedly

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Marty was a black Maine Coon cat whose home was the Mount Washington Observatory which is situated at the US Northeast's highest peak at 6,288 feet. He lived there for a dozen years as the Observatory's mascot cat. There were plans for him to retire from his mountain home in early 2021. He was loved and a special companion to the staff at the Observatory. The Operations Manager Rebecca Scholand said that he had to succumbed an "unforeseen illness". They issued a news release last Monday.

Marty. Photo: Mount Washington Observatory

Mount Washington Observatory has Arctic-like conditions. A quarter of a million people visit it every year under normal circumstances to sample the peak's extreme conditions which rivals those of Mount Everest and the Polar regions. They have accommodation there which is described as cosy so tourists can stay overnight. No doubt Marty was a familiar sight to the tourist as well.

I would expect that he lived inside a lot of the time bearing in mind the conditions. His photograph on this page shows that he might have been a polydactyl cat as I think I can see an extra thumb. His appearance, to be honest, is not that of a classic Maine Coon but that's irrelevant to this article. May he rest in peace. It would be nice to know the cause of death.

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