Hamish McHamish facts for kids
Hamish at Waterstones bookshop in St Andrews
|
|
| Species | Felis catus |
|---|---|
| Sex | Male |
| Born | 1999 |
| Died | (aged 15) St Andrews, Fife, Scotland |
| Nation from | Scotland |
| Owner | Marianne Baird |
| Appearance | Ginger and white, green eyes |
Hamish McHamish (born 1999 – died 11 September 2014) was a very special ginger cat. He lived in the beautiful town of St Andrews, Fife, in Scotland. Hamish became famous around the world after a book about him was published. It was called Hamish McHamish of St Andrews: Cool Cat About Town.
People loved Hamish so much that he became a social media star! Fans created a special Facebook page and a Twitter account just for him.
Hamish's Early Life
Hamish was born in 1999. His first owner was Marianne Baird, a retired BBC producer. Hamish lived with her for his first year. But he loved to explore! He often spent days away from home. Many people in St Andrews would feed and give him water. He was known to spend most of his time near the shops and houses on South Street. This was close to his original home.
Marianne Baird always made sure Hamish was healthy. She took him to a vet every year. He had health checks and all his important vaccinations.
How Hamish Became Famous
St Andrews is home to the University of St Andrews. This means many tourists and students visit the town. Over the years, many of them met Hamish. Hamish had a few favorite spots where he liked to hang out. These were usually local businesses near the Holy Trinity Church.
A fan created a Facebook profile for Hamish. It even had messages written as if the cat himself was typing! This made him even more popular. He gained almost 5,000 Facebook friends. Visitors to St Andrews would even look for him to take photos together. A local bookshop even had a "Hamish recommends" section. It featured cookbooks for fish and stories about cats.
All this interest from visitors, students, and locals led to a book being written about him. The book, Hamish McHamish of St Andrews: Cool Cat About Town, was written by Susan McMullan.
In January 2014, something scary happened. Hamish was chased by two dogs and had to climb a tree. University students and staff from a hairdressers helped him get down safely. This event made Jim Leishman, who was the Provost of Fife, ask dog owners to keep their pets on a lead near Hamish.
Hamish was even featured on the BBC television show The One Show. His story also appeared in newspapers all over the world!
Hamish's Statue
On 5 April 2014, a special bronze statue of Hamish was unveiled. It was made by the artist David Annand. The statue is located in Logies Lane. Jim Leishman helped to reveal it. The money for the statue was raised by people giving donations. This public campaign was started by Flora Selwyn. She was the editor of a local magazine called St Andrews in Focus.
Hamish's Passing
Hamish passed away on 11 September 2014. He was a beloved cat who brought joy to many.
See also
- List of individual cats
