Stowmarket Lions Club organises fund-raiser in memory of beloved Oscar the Tesco cat

About £1,000 has been raised in honour of a beloved town cat.

Volunteers Phil and Jonathan, from the Stowmarket Lions Club, spent yesterday and today fund-raising at the Tesco superstore, in Cedars Link Road, Stowmarket.

The pair were collecting donations for the Marie Curie charity in memory of Oscar the Tesco cat, who was a regular at the store and died of stomach cancer in January.

The famous feline stole the hearts of many for occupying the area near the Click and Collect department and eventually became a social media celebrity.

He was even made the star of a children’s book.

His passing saw a large outpouring of floral tributes, cards and cat treats being left in the foyer of the store and artist Sharon Kulesa created a sculpture in his memory.

Helen Chapman, the charity’s community fundraiser for Suffolk and Norfolk, said around £1,000 had been raised, although the total is still being counted.

“He was really unique,” said Helen. “We haven’t had another fund-raising cat in the UK.

“He helped us raise more than £2,800 in two years, which is phenomenal. He was at the store nearly every single day – he was really special.”

“When we did our previous fund-raisers, Oscar would come by and we’d put a collection pot next to him. People would say ‘isn’t he lovely’ and we’d say ‘yes, he’s helping us’.

“He really helped us, so we thought it would be a nice tribute and something special for his owner to see as well, because she’s always said yes to everything.

“It’s amazing how one animal can bring so many people together.”

Helen said they will not be doing any more fund-raisers in memory of Oscar, but she added that his owner, Sylvie, continues to raise money for the charity, which they are grateful for.