Shropshire Star

Indie the famous Nag's Head pub cat killed by dog

Hundreds have paid tribute to the unofficial landlord of Shrewsbury's Nag's Head pub - Indie the cat.

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Indie the cat was a well-known face in the Nag's Head and on Wyle Cop

The popular tabby cat, who was a famous face on Wyle Cop for nearly a decade, died after being attacked by a dog on Saturday morning.

Indie was best-known for wandering in and out of businesses on the the steep street and often finding a comfy spot to sleep.

Indie would wander around the Nag's irrelevant of how busy the pub was

Russell Preece, official landlord of the Nag's Head, said the staff and customers were heartbroken to have lost Indie.

"She started coming here about seven or eight years ago," he said.

"She actually lived in Dogpole with her owners but as many cats do, she wandered.

"She wore a magnetic strip on her collar which would open and close the cat flap at her house.

"Her owners found out she was coming to the pub because she would go down into our cellar and the bottle tops would get stuck on her collar. They eventually put two and two together that she was coming here.

"She was at the pub more than she was at home, probably because she was getting lots of attention."

'You don't choose cats, they choose you'

When Indie's owners phoned to say they were leaving Shrewsbury, Russell was only too happy to give her a permanent home at the pub.

"We had no choice in the matter," he added. "They say you don't choose cats, they choose you and that is definitely the case with Indie.

Nag's Head Landlord Russell Preece said Indie first came to the pub about seven years ago

"We put her to bed every night in the old pool room. She'd come down in the morning to be fed then she'd go out for a walk.

"We'd get calls from Cromwells and the Lion Hotel asking us to pick her up because she was jumping up on the tables. She also used to love going into the charity shop.

"We'd bring her back and she'd settle down in the pub on someone's coat or scarf to stop them leaving. She was such a character."

Last Shrewsbury stroll

Indie was let out on Saturday morning for a stroll and on her way back was attacked by a lurcher-type dog on a lead.

She ran back to the Nag's Head and through the gate but the dog followed her and killed her.

One customer brought in a candle and picture of Indie to put on the bar for people to remember her.

Indie was so popular with the businesses and shoppers on Wyle Cop that she had her on Facebook page where people would share photographs and stories of her.

Hundreds of people have posted tributes to her on Facebook.

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