Sandy Cat – aka The Sugar Wharf Cat originally lived in the hills behind Port Douglas when his owner had a change of circumstances and could no longer care for him.  She brought him to Port Douglas but he opted to be a ‘ free range’ cat rather than adopting new humans.

He was often seen walking down the main street of town all hours of the day or night.  He liked to take the pedestrian crossing to get from A to B but mostly he lived on The Sugar Wharf, a heritage listed iconic building used for weddings and events and of course fishing.

His staple diet consistent of fish, and no doubt the odd hors d’oeuvre at weddings… he loved weddings. We often snapped him walking down the aisle, or standing with the bridal party, it was his house after all and no one seemed to mind.

He was a well travelled cat having a fondness for taking naps on tourist buses, he always made it back to Port Douglas though.

He lived a long and prosperous 13 years and instead of having one owner, he had many. This became very clear on the day of his funeral. An eclectic bunch of locals came together to shed a few tears and pay tribute to The Sugar Wharf Cat.   Speeches, poems and the spreading of his ashes in the sea became the perfect send off for Sandy Cat and a wonderful celebration of humanity.

RIP Sandy. You touched the lives of many.

Images by Sass Studios

Ms Stripey says – I just love this story. It just goes to show that even a ‘stray’ cat can touch our lives in a positive way!

Ben and Cath of Sass Studios are dedicated to offering couples the best in natural, elegant wedding day photography. We believe in working unobtrusively and capturing candid moments wherever possible, not restricting locations nor rushing your coverage to a set hour limit. With bases on the Sunshine Coast and in Port Douglas, we are available for weddings throughout Queensland, as well as destinations in Australia and overseas. Whether it is an elopement or a grand affair – tell us about your day and we would love to let you know what we can offer.