Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
This Cat Was The NYC Subway Etiquette Mascot In The 1960s
By
Jen Carlson
Published Mar 3, 2015
Modified Mar 3, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Carlson
Published Mar 3, 2015
Modified Mar 3, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
You've probably seen those old Subway Sun etiquette posters from the 1940s, but that wasn't the only etiquette campaign that's run on the city's trains. Meet Etti-Cat, the Transit Authority's odd mascot of good manners, who was introduced in 1962, around the same time marijuana use was on the rise.
Prior to the campaign launch, the NY Times reported that Etti-Cat would appear in about 3,000 subway cars, and is "portrayed as a most polite creature advocating the authority's campaign for courtesy. The first picture will be succeeded by others calculated to discourage defacement of walls and posters. The first shows Etti-Cat with his mouth open, as though speaking." Etti-Cat was not a fan of brevity...
Was Etti-Cat real? Was it kept in the G train portal? What do we know about Etti-Cat? Not much... the Times noted that when they asked the authority spokesman if the cat was real, they were pointed to the authority's official announcement, which said: "Charles L. Patterson, T.A. Chairman, indicated that if Etti-Cat is adopted by the public he will hold a news conference for the pet so that riders can learn more about the new subway mascot."
Etti-Cat (who also authored a book about etiquette outside of the subway system) was never heard from again... but does live on at the Transit Museum—ask about him/her at their etiquette event later this month!
Tagged
etti-cat
subway etiquette
transit authority
original
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
NYC and NJ players celebrate the beginning of the Women's Pro Baseball League
Sabrina Robinson and Nylah Ramirez both join the Boston Hunters.
By
Michael Hill
and
Amanda Rozon
Published Jul 31, 2026
August concerts in NYC means bands on a boat, in a backyard, and in parks
Ted Leo in a park, a rave in a museum courtyard, and more.
By
Hank Shteamer
Arts & Entertainment
August concerts in NYC means bands on a boat, in a backyard, and in parks
Ted Leo in a park, a rave in a museum courtyard, and more.
By
Hank Shteamer
Group of rays spotted swimming in heavily polluted Newtown Creek
By
Hannah Frishberg
Is NYC an all-you-can-eat buffet town? A 5-year-old investigates.
By
James Ramsay
The 8 best movies to see in theaters (and outside!) this August in NYC
By
Emma Stefansky
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .