The Isle Of Man is a small self-governing island in the Irish Sea (situated between Great Britain and Ireland) and is currently home to approximately 84,000 people, many of whom did not actually grow up on the island. But beyond its human population, the Isle Of Man has attracted attention over the past few days due to a very special resident. Thomas, a congenial easy going cat from the town of Ramsey, has recently been given an honorary title which officially renders him “free feline of the area” in acknowledgement of the joy and companionship he brings to many of the shop owners along the high street.

Did we mention that he has also received a special ceremonial chain to mark the event, at the Ramsey Town Hall? It’s worth mentioning that formalities as such are not taken too seriously by Thomas :) On the contrary, he is usually seen meandering through the neighborhood stores completely collarless, but he did get to experience what wearing a pet collar would be like for a few days prior to the ceremony.

The story goes that Thomas was originally discovered as a kitten in the local Farmers Combine store (a supplier of horticultural and agricultural products) some five years ago; these days he bases himself at a yoga studio on Parliament Street where he usually spends the night and slo shows a particular level of support for the studio members during hot yoga sessions (when the temperature is especially conducive to cat-napping).

Suzanne Young, owner of the yoga studio, has said the cat's celebrity status in the town meant there were more proposals in the pipeline for future events, including switching on the Christmas lights in 2025 and perhaps posing for a mural to be painted on one of Ramsey’s prominent buildings. All of the shop owners agree that Thomas adds warmth to the atmosphere when he makes his daily visits around the various local businesses.

Local authority member Sandra Cottam-Shea says that although Thomas’ new title is naturally "symbolic", it does recognise the community spirit of the many residents in the town who collectively look after the cat. After five years of meeting and greeting both business owners and customers in an assortment of properties, Thomas has accumulated over a thousand followers on his Facebook page and even has a line of merchandise dedicated to him at one of the local shops to raise money for future vet bills or unforeseen expenses. Ms. Cottam-Shea says she hopes that granting Thomas the freedom of Ramsey would also raise awareness of charitable work organised by small businesses in that town.

Irene Quayle manages a charity shop in the town, which is another preferred stop of Thomas while on his neighborhood travels. The word on the street is that his resting place there is next to a radiator, which is often appealing during the rainy temperate autumn and winter on the island.

"He's here all the time, he has his own bed and sleeps wherever he wants," she says.

"He's been coming in here a couple of years now, he's part of the family, part of the furniture."

Phonetic Planet’s own Joshua Shea-Yardy (pictured above) has encountered Thomas many times at a local health food shop, and describes him as being sociable and rather placid, if a little bit selective about who he lets hug him.

“He always sits on my order book,” remarks Josh. That’s when he’s not following the sun around the room or engaging in one of his occasional sports, which is catching flies.

Although Thomas is not one of the renowned “tailless” Manx cats, his prestige in Ramsey has been elevated due to the recent honour bestowed upon him. Our congratulations go to the residents of this little seaside town, who show by their example that a little kindness can go a long way. The honour is theirs, and may they continue to delight in the spontaneous visits of their remarkable feline friend!

You can find out more about Thomas on Facebook.

More information about this story can be learned here.

The Tale of a Cat

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