Tributes paid to much-loved city cat Teddy

Teddy's adventures were followed widely on social media

A cat that won the hearts of a city has died after apparently being hit by a car.

Ginger tom Teddy was often seen and photographed sitting quietly at a memorial erected in memory of another much-loved ginger cat in a park in Ely, Cambridgeshire.

Teddy would sit on a bench near a statue of Garfield, a cat who became known as Mr Sainsbury's because of his love for the nearby store and its shoppers.

Teddy's owner Hihine Lor said her cat had died on Thursday morning, adding: "I am heartbroken, but I know he lived a good life and touched many with his cheekiness and friendliness."

Teddy could often be found at the bronze memorial commemorating another ginger cat, Garfield

Three-year-old Teddy took to frequenting Garfield's former stomping grounds – the supermarket and the park.

His favourite place seemed to be the memorial which was erected to Garfield in what is known as Ely's "pocket park" in October.

Ms Lor said people who had seen Teddy there remarked that it was "almost as if he knows".

Garfield achieved social media fame by hanging out at Sainsbury's, but he died in 2019 after being hit by a vehicle in the car park.

That was before Teddy was born, but the young adventurer seemed to be following in his predecessor's paw prints.

Teddy had been "a bit naughty" since he was a kitten, his owner said

Teddy's adventures were documented on the Teddy Facebook group, set up by Ms Lor after copious photos of him were shared on social media.

He wore a GPS tracker so his owners could see where he was – but most of the time he was at the park, near the memorial.

Ms Lor previously said: "He is a hunter and a wanderer. He has tags and a GPS so I can see where he is, and where he's been, but I've lost count of the times people have rung me to ask if I have lost my cat.

"I say 'No, I know exactly where he is', but sometimes I do have to go and fetch him home."

Writing of Teddy's death on Thursday, she said: "I would like to thank whoever picked up my Teddy this morning after he was hit by a car and took him to the vet.

"I was able to go and say goodbye to him… I will miss him dearly."

People said that it was as if Teddy knew about Garfield

Condolences flooded in, with people recalling how much they had enjoyed seeing the "beautiful special boy" and following his adventures.

Ms Lor replied: "He's joined Garfield now… they can play together now."