Farewell Oddie the Ferry Cat
A North Harbour community is mourning the death of its muchloved Ferry Cat.
A post on the area’s Neighbourly page says the cat arrived at the Hobsonville Marina 18 years ago and has been there ever since.
The posts say the cat was attacked on Wednesday afternoon by a Staffordshire bull terrier.
A couple of concerned locals took him to a vet but the damage was too extensive and he was put to sleep.
It said that the owner of the dog then simply walked away, though they have camera surveillance footage of her.
A local cafe worker says the incident was ‘‘very bad and horrible, a very sad story’’, and that the cat had been attacked by another dog two years previously, with the community rallying around and paying his vet bills.
She says the cat, known to resident shop owners as Oddie, but known to others as Ferry Cat, was a popular friend that had bowls in many of the shops and was ‘‘always around eating, sleeping and getting strokes and cuddles.’’
There have been dozens of comments on the West Harbour, Westgate, Hobsonville Community Facebook page lamenting the loss, with one person commenting: ‘‘I am very sad as this cat was part of a lot of people’s lives.
‘‘He had character and knew how to get by. He was loved by so many, I will miss him.’’