Concord Casimir, Cleveland's Pierogi-Eating Feline Answer to Punxsutawney Phil, Predicts Early False Spring

Concord Casimir Makes His Prediction Cleveland’s feline answer to Punxsutawney Phil is not only way cooler because he’s a cat who found a career and a caretaker after being discovered outside of St. Casimir in 2013 but because he makes his spring weather predictions by eating pierogies. Whether or not he says spring is two or six weeks away, know that he’s correct and that six weeks isn’t that long. Credit: Courtesy John Niedzialek

Around these parts, the most trusted animal prognostications on when winter will end and spring will begin rest not with that famous groundhog in Pennsylvania nor a newly re-introduced Buckeye Chuck, but with a cat and how it eats pierogies on Feb. 2.

Concord Casimir, a feline found outside of St. Casimir Church in 2013, once again made the only weather prediction worth paying attention to on Groundhog Day, as announced by his owner John Niedzialek, an amateur weather guru who teaches Earth Science and Meteorology at Lakeland College.

The forecast: “Mild weather for a while but don’t be fooled!”

“This year, Casimir hit some hot spots on the surface of his pierogi meaning of course we will have some temporary warm weather. But just as his pierogi turned colder as he ate further, so will the weather,” Niedzialek reported. “With Casimir’s forecast last year again right on the money predicting the end of winter as flip-flopping around, there should be a movement to rename Feb 2 Concord Casimir Day. He is undefeated in his predictions.”

Concord Casimir, who took over the ceremonial and vital duties from Concord Abby in 2014, appears every year in February in Concord Township, and fittingly did so this year during Cleveland Pierogi Week.

“His fans want him to get up earlier to conduct his forecast, but he just won’t do it,” said Niedzialek. “I mean why would he get up at 6 a.m. like that not-so-smart critter in Pennsylvania when he can eat his pierogi at noon. He also gets annoyed when I put on that top hat. I think it reminds him of some of those scary pictures of people looking for shadows that he sees on the news from Pennsylvania.”

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