The hotel has a tradition of keeping a cat that has the run of the hotel. The practice dates to the 1930s, when Frank Case took in a stray male cat that was originally named "Rusty." Legend has it that actor John Barrymore, who felt that the cat needed a more "dignified" name, suggested renaming Rusty "Hamlet." Nowadays, whenever the hotel has a cat, all the male cats are named "Hamlet" while all the female cats are named "Matilda." The last Algonquin cat, a Matilda, to gain notice was a Ragdoll that was named 2006 cat of the year at the Westchester (New York) Cat Show. Visitors could spot Matilda on her personal chaise longue in the lobby; she could also be found in her favorite places: behind the computer on the front desk, or lounging on a baggage cart. The doormen fed her and the general manager's executive assistant answered Matilda's e-mail. During 2011, Matilda was temporarily confined to an upper floor or to the limits of a leash tethered to the check-in desk, due to a directive from the city Department of Health. From late 2011, Matilda was confined to the non-food areas of the lobby by an electronic pet fence.