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Susie the Cat fans say statue would boost tourism

Ros TappendenSouth of England
Ama Menec An ink and pen sketch of the cat statue. The tabby cat is sitting on a low stone plinth on the pavement next to a wooden planter. A handwritten note reads: Susie statue design by Ama Menec Sculpture, January 2025.Ama Menec
The statue would be at eye-level for children

People from as far away as Scotland have been lending their support to plans for a statue of a celebrity cat in Dorset's county town.

Susie the Cat is often seen in central Dorchester and a Facebook group dedicated to news and sightings of her has more than 12,000 members.

Comments are being invited on a planning application for the bronze statue, which would be installed outside Julia's House charity shop in South Street.

Scores of people have already responded, claiming people often visit the town to spot the famous feline and a statue would be "the next best thing for the visitors to see if she was evading her fans".

One supporter from Helensburgh, near Glasgow, told Dorset Council she spent her holidays in Weymouth but would visit Dorchester "especially to see Susie".

Other comments said the statue would boost tourism, with one describing it as "our very own Greyfriars Bobby" - referring to the famous bronze terrier dog in Edinburgh's Candlemaker's Row.

The Greyfriars Bobby statue in Edinburgh - a bronze terrier-type dog with a shiny nose where passers-by have stroked it. In the background are some historical terraced stone buildings.
Plans for the Susie statue have been likened to Greyfriars Bobby in Edinburgh

Susie's owner, Jenny Graves, said she was initially contacted by a local historian who wanted to commission a statue of Susie in the style of a Roman-era cat as a nod to the town's Roman origins.

If planning permission is granted, the statue will be cast by Weymouth sculptor Ama Menec.

The designs show Susie wearing a Roman-style cat collar of glass beads.

At her feet is a Roman tile bearing her paw prints, similar to those found on a Roman tile in Gloucester.

The 38cm-high (15in) statue would be installed at eye level for small children, on a 75cm-high (30in) plinth of Portland stone full of Jurassic Coast fossils.

Susie quickly attracted attention when she began wandering into shops and businesses

Susie moved from Upwey to Dorchester with owners Linda and Michael Crow when they came to stay with Graves, their daughter, in 2023.

After the move, they were inundated with calls from people concerned the cat was lost, so they changed her name tag to say 'Susie - not lost, just adventurous'.

Susie fans regularly post updates showing the cat making herself at home in pubs, shops and supermarkets.

Local authors, photographers and artists have also produced a story book, postcards and a calendar of Susie to raise money for charity.

Graves previously described the public response to her pet as a "nice thing", adding "It's allowed me to meet all sorts of people who I would not have otherwise met."

Comments on the statue planning application can be made on the Dorset Council website until 1 May.

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