Oswald, the Museum cat

Meet Oswald the newest addition to the Smith Museum and Art gallery's collection in Stirling.


For many years Oswald had been a regular visitor to the museum from his home in the next street.

Then his owners moved to the Victorian spa town of Bridge of Allan.

Oswald was most unhappy. The local cats bullied him.

In despair the owners approached the museum.

Would they like him for their collection?

And so it came about that the curator, Elspeth King, agreed.

Lo and behold a flurry of forms appeared, all in triplicate, for Oswald to be officially embraced into the fellowship of the museum.

Now he can be seen strutting his stuff between exhibits.

As for those Bridge of Allan cats.... they can keep their claws to themselves.


His running costs are relatively low because he catches his own food in the grounds of the museum.

Question is- when he dies will he have to be mummified? And do the ratepapers pay.

Is there any precedence for this?

Oswald is seen here in the arms of museum assistant Vincent Connell.