A Douglas bar has put a permanent tribute in place to remember one of the island’s best-known cats.

Frank Matcham’s, on Harris Promenade, was one of Smudge’s favourite spots, where the adventurous feline could often be found relaxing in her designated bed outside the bar.

Following the news of her sad death earlier this week, the bar has installed a commemorative sticker in her memory.

It reads: ‘You left paw prints on our hearts, that time we can never erase. Loved always, never forgotten’, alongside a paw print and Smudge’s name.

The touching permanent tribute to Smudge the Cat at Frank Matcham's on Harris Promenade
The touching permanent tribute to Smudge the Cat at Frank Matcham's on Harris Promenade (Frank Matcham's)

The tribute follows an outpouring of messages from island residents and businesses after Smudge’s owners, Rachel and Winston Liu, confirmed the four-year-old cat had died peacefully in her sleep.

In a post shared on the Smudge’s Adventures Facebook page, Rachel said the family were ‘really sorry’ to share the news, adding that Smudge had ‘lived life to the full and had many friends and servants’.

She said the page, which has attracted more than 5,500 followers since it was created in February 2024, would remain online as a tribute to Smudge and to follow the adventures of her sister, Willow.

Smudge became a familiar face around Douglas, with regular visits to local businesses, pubs and the TT Village, as well as her attempts to board a Steam Packet ferry.

In 2024, she was even awarded the Freedom of the City after meeting the Mayor.

Her owners said they hoped people would remember her as a character who ‘owned Douglas and we were all her servants’.

Frank Matcham’s had previously promised to arrange a tribute at one of Smudge’s favourite safe spots at the bar, saying she was ‘a beautiful little soul’ who would be missed by many across the island.