When you get to the ferry dock on the IOP side, an unlikely pair will probably greet you.  Meet Top Cat, who moved into the marina in early spring.  He will be very interested in pets you bring with you… he is not afraid of dogs and likes to look in cat crates to see who is home.  Top Cat sleeps at the dock or under your bench while you wait, and he seems to know the timing of the ferry, because he heads over to the captain’s office whenever the boat comes in.  I have even seen him take a nap on the ferry if there is no run.

Top Cat has a friend named McNugget.  McNugget showed up a few months ago and has grown very comfortable with all the comings and goings of the marina.  McNugget is a funny-looking cat– she looks like a chicken, but of course she is not actually a chicken, because there are no chickens allowed on the Isle of Palms.  Judging from her comfortable friendship with Top Cat, we are guessing that she is just a confused cat who is impersonating a chicken.

She can even lay eggs!  One morning, there were two under Jim and Anne’s car.  Jim had an omelet for breakfast.

McNugget likes to look in cars, and has even been known to climb into cars that are being loaded for departure.  If this happens to you, grab a buddy and encourage McNugget to fly on out of your car.  She won’t eat much, but you probably don’t want her in there for long.

There are other feral cats near the marina, but Top Cat chases them off, especially when they get curious about McNugget and begin to stalk her.  Top Cat rousts himself from his nearly constant napping and chases them off, before dozing off again.