Glenturret mouser gets new furry friend

In a bittersweet ‘tail’ of festive friendship, the Glenturret Distillery’s cat, Turret, has a new purrfect pal in the form of Glen II.

Turret arrived at the distillery, home of The Famous Grouse Experience, in July this year along with sibling kitten, Glen.

The pair were charged with following in the pawsteps of the world’s most famous mouser, Towser, who presided over distillery pest control from 1963 till 1987.

But in a sad turn of events, little Glen fell sick. Too small to operate on and with deteriorating health, he was put to sleep on veterinary advice at the end of July, leaving Turret, and the team, heartbroken.

The search was on to find a companion to keep Turret company, and soon another kitten, the same age as Turret, moved in.

According to reports, the two get on famously, are fully settled into their home, and Turret’s playfulness is back in full swing.

“The whole team at Glenturret were so very sad about Glen’s passing, but none more so than Turret,” said Stuart Cassells, general manager of The Famous Grouse Experience at Glenturret Distillery.

“We knew we had to get him a friend to play with and we searched extensively – finally we found a kitten around the same age and who was clearly in good health, and both cats were successfully introduced to each other.

“As this is such a big year for Glenturret Distillery, the team felt that he too should be called Glen, so he was duly christened and has more than settled in to his life here.

“I must say, though, that Glen clearly thinks he’s the boss and Turret isn’t quite up for relinquishing his cosy spot underneath the still quite yet. Glen particularly likes to be front and centre when there’s a tour in, and has found a spot on top of a whisky cask where he gets maximum attention. A true showman, and a natural in the role!”

Don’t miss our round-up of some of the world’s most-loved distillery cats.