Susie the cat has turn out to be one thing of an area celeb in recent months. The cute feline has stolen the hearts of individuals in Dorchester and additional afield, but how did she rise to fame?
Just a few months in the past no-one had heard of an adventure-loving tabby owned by a household who reside near the centre of a small market city.
But Susie the cat’s uncommon presence within the county city’s foremost buying streets resulted in her befriending shopkeepers and their clients – and turning into a city speaking level, resulting in the creation of a Facebook group.
The group has turn out to be so in style it has introduced collectively cat lovers from throughout the globe and all through Dorset – with social occasions deliberate to convey folks collectively in person.
People now observe Susie’s whereabouts, plan their journeys to Dorchester accordingly, and purchase sell-out postcards that includes the meandering moggy, who has turn out to be a mascot by going as she pleases out and in of outlets down South Street and Trinity Street.
Her possession even needed to change palms on the flip of the 12 months to Jenny Graves after Jenny’s mother and father moved to Hastings, with Susie’s followers wanting her keep after fears that she would transfer.
The charismatic cat was even introduced together with her personal mattress within the Oxfam charity store in South Street, the place she enjoys common naps whereas her adoring public look on.
Susie first shot to fame after the creation of a Facebook group, Susie’s Travels in Dorchester final November, which noticed folks put up her whereabouts.
The group’s creator has informed the Echo how she bought concerned with Susie and the way she has made a curious cat an area celeb by way of social media.
Sophie Davis, 21, a care assistant from Dorchester, got here throughout Susie after her 13-year-old brother Harry noticed posts a couple of lacking cat on Facebook.
She mentioned: “One night I was at my friend’s house and my little brother was scrolling through Facebook seeing posts about a missing cat.
“I was reading the comments, and one said that she had joined a choir group and others saying that she was fine, and I thought to myself, ‘this cat is not lost at all. She needs a group.’”
Sophie mentioned that she was in a ‘rough patch’ when she began getting concerned with the group, however the work has been price it.
Originally considering her Facebook group would simply be seen as humorous, Sophie, an animal lover who used to personal cats and at present has two husky dogs, needed to let folks know that Susie was not lacking.
Since then, the group has grown and grown and on the time of writing, has greater than 5,800 members who put up each day updates on the cat’s location.
According to Sophie, Susie has made an enormous influence in town.
“To me it’s massive, as in Dorchester nothing big really happens and it’s amazing to see that a cat has brought life back to the town and I helped make her a star.
“It’s beautiful actually, I’ve always lived in Dorchester and said I’ll never leave – the town means everything to me.
“But after the pandemic, the area seemed ghostly and no one was communicating unless something bad had happened, and it’s just brought so many people together.
“I definitely did not think the group would grow how it did,” Sophie recalled, as phrase of mouth unfold and Susie’s affect unfold abroad.
“It surprises me honestly, you name the country, and we’ve welcomed members to the group from the USA, Australia, Japan, Malaysia, everywhere,” she mentioned.
Despite her being an avid admirer, it took Sophie a while to satisfy Susie.
She mentioned: “I met her eventually, but I couldn’t find her for a month.
“I remember I was sick with a chest infection and was in bed for the last two days when my friend sent me a text to say that she was in town, and I rushed out of bed and even though I looked sick – I cherish that photo.
“My husband Ben, was recovering from knee surgery at the time I started the group and he was bed bound for a while and I really wanted him to meet her.
“One day, he was at the barber’s and I was in Oxfam and had to run between the shops to make sure she was still there so he could meet her too.”
Sophie says Susie has made an ‘superb distinction’ to the city.
“When I see folks trying into the Oxfam window for Susie and putting up conversations about her with random strangers it makes me really feel so glad.”
The group’s neighborhood spirit has impressed Sophie and her fellow directors to organise a disco or bingo evening.
“We thought we wanted to get stronger as a group, and bring all the fans together, to celebrate her and let everyone meet her, including her biggest admirers,” she mentioned.
Any money from the occasions, that are nonetheless within the planning levels, might be in assist of Weymouth-based charity Feral Cat Care, which has already been supported by way of the gross sales of Susie the cat postcards, designed by ‘the Raggy Rat’, often known as artist Catherine Owen.
At the time of writing, round 1,000 postcards have been bought, which has raised £700 for the charity.
“This is part of the group, and the fact she is raising so much money for Feral Cat Care is wonderful,” Sophie commented.
To sustain with Susie’s adventures, discover the Susie’s Travels in Dorchester group on Facebook.
