3 minute read

Meet Sid, the Coolest Cat in Town

from Downhome November 2020

by Downhome Publishing Inc

from Downhome November 2020, page 36

And the Winners are...

By Marie-Beth Wright

**All Images from "The Adventures of Sid" on Facebook**

Sid is not an alley cat, but he is a cat known to roam the alleys of downtown St. John’s and is as much a familiar face as the regular summer buskers. He’s become quite the celebrity, with sightings of him excitedly reported on social media.

Amanda Ball was dining downtown when she encountered him. She posted to Facebook, “Sid was at Celtic Hearth the other night. We realized this after our server walked away and then yelled, ‘OMG, there’s a cat in here!’ I didn’t realize it was him at first, until I posted photos on Instagram and a few people messaged me to let me know. I was worried about him when we left (we carried him outside the restaurant). I was glad to find out that he has a home and that he is a downtown icon! Such a sweet little guy!”

“I got Sid six years ago. I picked the only male and neutered him to help control the cat population,” says Adam Blackwood. “His dad may have been feral, for Sid sometimes has feral tendencies, like being a great mouser and loving the outdoors.”

Since being adopted six years ago, Sid the cat has become a fixture of downtown St. John’s.

Normally found lounging and occasionally trying his luck in the bars downtown, Sid has spent much of 2020 like most of us – indoors and socially distant.

Sid joins a spectacular group of famous felines: the Tobermory Cat from Scotland; Coal, of Ottawa’s former Parliament Hill Colony; and Feral Fred, who was a dump rescue from Bonavista South. Sid is famous, admirable, adventurous – you decide! To say he has fans is an understatement; there’s a Facebook page dedicated to him, “The Adventures of Sid,” and his Facebook group has more than 2,500 members who follow his escapades.

Usually Sid goes into chill mode during the winter, and fans clamour for his return come spring. This past year, between Snowmageddon and the pandemic, Sid has been indoors a lot and new sightings are in short supply. Darrell Cooper, a member of the Facebook group, opines tonguein-cheek, “While the bars were shut down by COVID, Sid sobered up. He is living the good life as a house cat. He would post pics, but he’s embarrassed by how boring he is now.”

Sid’s regular route takes him up and down Water Street. He especially likes visiting restaurants where kind people cannot resist his inquiries about what’s on the menu. Soon tasty treats appear for epicurean Sid.

He also has a penchant for the night life. “George Street is like home to him,” says Adam. Sid’s page shows him on a stool at Turkey Joe’s, on the edge of the bar in Sundance or waiting at Shamrock City for the live music to start. If you see Sid, don’t ply him with too much milk, for he’s been known to do pub crawls!

Sid has been spotted in store window displays and tending bar at local watering holes.

Lesser known are his visits to the Murray Premises Hotel lobby and The Heritage Shop, where Sid has occasionally bunked down, especially close to closing time. That nearly led to him getting locked in at the Dildo Brewing Co. shop. Vanessar Blair posted on his page, “He used to visit me at work here, but one evening we were closing and couldn’t find him. He was in the shelf with the shirts and would not come out. I had to turn the vacuum on to get him out after chicken luring did not work. I don’t think he came back since, poor guy.”

Poor Sid? This feline needs no pity. He’s the most loved cat in town!