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We here at CNY Central love animals, and just one of the ways it shows is with Doppler the Weather Cat.

It began in the summer of 1996, when a stray cat wandered onto the Weather Deck during our 11:00 pm newscast. The cat must have enjoyed the bright lights of a television studio, because he returned every night after that. Unfortunately, the cat didn't survive very long. He wasn't ours, and got hit by a car on James Street. Trying to make something good out of this sad situation, we decided to adopt a cat.

We found another orange tabby, but this cat didn't enjoy the glare and glamour of TV, so we gave him to a senior center in Watertown, where he and the seniors are very happy.

The third adoption proved to be the charm. We went to the SPCA Shelter and found the current Weather Cat. We needed a name, so asked viewers for suggestions. Over a three-week period, we received more than 10,000 cards and letters, and the number one choice was Doppler. Viewers can see Doppler with Wayne on the Weather Deck during various weekday newscasts. When he's not 'working,' he's our official greeter in the CNY Central lobby, or lounging in his custom-decorated room here at 1030 James Street in Syracuse.