Miscellaneous Feline Name-Related Topics

Percy Shaw was born in Halifax, Yorkshire, England in 1890 and he was a road mender. In 1933, Percy was driving to Bradford in dense fog he narrowly avoided going over a precipice, when the beam of his headlights reflected in the eyes of a cat sitting on a roadside fence. This inspired him to invent a small device involving two glass beads placed close together encased in rubber; this was then set in the road at intervals between the lanes of traffic.

The device reflected the oncoming traffic's headlights to show the way ahead. He then put a small depression where the beads are, which filled with water every time it rained. Any vehicles wheels passing over the device pressed the beads into the depression forcing the water out and thereby cleaning them. In 1935 he formed his own company and named his invention after the inspiration that gave him the idea, Catseye®.

Although a very rich man, Percy never left his native Yorkshire and never married. He died in 1976 leaving a legacy that can be found all over the world, and he will always be remembered for his outstanding contribution to road safety.

[ Cat Care ] [ Site Map ] [ Disclaimer ] [ Linking to Paws On-Line ] [ Cat flap] Cat's Whisker ] 

[ Cats At Sea ] [ Familiar Cat Phrases and Similes ] [ Some Interesting Feline Facts ]