It was with sadness and stories that Sandy the Cat was remembered by locals yesterday (Sat 18th) as his ashes were scattered from The Sugar Wharf and blown away in the Port Douglas wind.  His nine lives having come to their end.

An impressive turnout with only one day’s notice and was a small representation of the people that Sandy the Cat’s life had touched.

AT 13 years old Sandy the Cat was a veteran of Port Douglas and his Wharf ‘patch’.  He was a free spirit roaming between establishments and people.  He was spotted regularly at 3am roaming down Macrossan Street where he was literally having a night on the tiles. 

Crossing roads was never a problem as he used the zebra crossing, where cars would dutifully stop as he strutted with his ginger tail held high.  He loved nothing better than to go to weddings where he would walk down the red carpet before the bride and then proceed to sleep in the bride’s train.

His travels even ended up taking him inadvertently to Mission Beach and Thala Beach Resort as he napped unseen on the Airport Connections bus.

Elva, the original owner of the cat was unable to look after Sandy after he was born in Julatten and she bought him to Port Douglas.  Sandy made such an impact on her life that she is now planning to write a book about him.

Sandy the Cat was no stranger to being featured in print and in 2001 he was the star of his own calendar where he wasn’t only just Mr January, but all the other months as well.

Lee-Ann’s offices at RECS Architects were Sandy the Cats base and she was the registered owner to prevent him being taken to the council pound. With her phone number on the collar she was always receiving phone calls from well doers thinking they had found a lost cat. 

Whilst holidaying in Italy she got a call at 4am one morning saying that her cat had been found wandering!  To which her standard reply was always “he’ll be home soon, it’s OK”.

Ruth, a Sandy the Cat mourner, summed him up by saying that “He was everybody’s friend”.

Sandy the Cat may have passed on to pussy paradise, but he will live on in the hearts of the people whose lives he touched in Port Douglas.

Memorial service Photos by Rosie Wang

Wedding Photos by Sass Studios