Caturday felid trifecta: Riley, the cat who belonged to a town; new cat song, “You stepped in it”; beloved Portland cat passes away; and lagniappe

I found this video on Facebook (below) and investigated further:

It’s the story of a cat named Riley who became the “village cat” of the town of Ambleside in Cumbria, and was so beloved that she’s remembered with a statue.  You can see the story at the BBC article below (archived here) and at the Westmoreland Gazette site (second headline).  Click screenshots to read the story of Riley.

From the BBC:

A statue has been unveiled of cat found in a snowstorm and later adopted by a town.

Riley, who died in January, was discovered in Ambleside, Cumbria, in 2011 and became a regular face there over the years.

More than £4,000 was raised to create the bronze figure as a way to remember her.

It was made by Cumbrian artist David Cemmick, and will be located in Millans Park, in the spot where she spent most of her time lying in the sun.

Laszlo Papp, who organised the online fundraiser, said: “She never really went into anyone’s home, she was no-one’s pet but also everyone’s”.

He said she was found on an “especially cold day” and he thought she had been abandoned.

Because she was “only little”, he felt sorry for her and started to feed her.

He added tourists and locals all looked after Riley, and it was a “big sadness for everyone” when she died.

A photo of Riley and her bronze statue credited to Laszlo Papp:

From the Gazette:

The statue will be unveiled on the garden wall of No1 Millans Park, which is where she used to sit, and people would visit her.

There will also be a blue plaque commemoration. The unveiling will be at midday on June 21.

Riley was known by other names in the community, such as the Millans Park Cat and The Dodd’s Cat.

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The YouTube site Latent Creations has several AI-generated cat songs, and we’ve featured one before. Here’s a new one about someone stepping in fresh cat poop; it’s called “You stepped in it.” It must take a lot of work to do this; note that the cat mouths the lyrics properly. (All cat owners are familiar with this experience—either that or stepping in cat vomit.)

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Here’s another beloved cat who recently passed away: this one, a long-haired orange tomcat, died at 19. Curiously, Nutmeg loved to hang out in the local CVS store (an American pharmacy chain).  An evil local tried to get Nutmeg booted out of the store, but I gather it didn’t work.

You can read Nutmeg’s story by clicking the headline below from The Oregonian:

From the paper:

A beloved cat who was dubbed the “unofficial mayor of Sellwood” has died, his owner said.

In a Saturday Facebook post, Gabi Moore, the owner of Nutmeg, a cat known for frequenting the CVS at Southeast 17th Avenue and Tacoma Street, wrote that the 19-year-old feline had died.

“He led a beautiful, full life, and he’ll forever be remembered by so many people who got to know him and love him,” Gabi Moore wrote

In a Saturday phone call with The Oregonian/OregonLive, Gabi Moore said that she and her husband, Joe, were glad that they could spend Nutmeg’s last years with him.

“It means a lot to us that we were able to give him his retirement life,” Gabi Moore said. “He really fulfilled his purpose in his life here by touching the lives of so many people.”

In May, community members rallied around the elderly cat after someone filed a complaint against Nutmeg with CVS’ corporate offices. Residents circulated a petition in support of their furry friend and sent messages to the pharmacy chain’s customer-service team online.

Age-wise, Nutmeg was literally off the charts. A cat age chart on Chewy.com, an online retailer of pet supplies, tops out at 16, which the site says translates to about 87 for a human. At 19, Nutmeg would’ve been pushing 100.

Nutmeg’s fans mourned his passing in the comments on Moore’s post.

“Devastating news, but grateful to have known this incredible feline who captured the hearts of the neighborhood,” Catherine Pollock-Robinson wrote.

Angela Thompson wrote that she was one of the residents who wrote CVS customer service in support of Nutmeg.

“I was proud to see Nutmeg at my visits. Always gave me a positive purpose for picking up yet another Rx to chase my failing body’s needs,” Thompson wrote. “Our precious animal babies provide us with an elevated life experience and must be honored.”

Elise Friedrich wrote that she met Nutmeg for the first time two weeks ago while out on a walk.

“I had seen so many posts about him on this group and he definitely lived up to the hype. So friendly and enchanting. Walked right up to greet us as we approached the CVS block,” Friedrich wrote. “Thank you for your service, Mr. Mayor, you will be truly missed.”

Here’s a news report about Nutmeg:

The customer who claimed about Nutmeg is BAD. Nutmeg loved being inside, and was even considered an employee.  I have no patience for the complainer.

An earlier video about Nutmeg, made when he was still alive.

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Lagniappe:  This is true, and you can read some of Li You’s cat poems here.

Here’s one poem translated by by writer Xiran Jay Zhao:

h/t: Marion