A statue immortalising Chester’s most famous cat will be unveiled to the public this summer.

Public donations have funded the erection of a memorial statue of Brutus the Morrisons cat, the beloved tabby who spent much of his time in the Saltney supermarket.

His loyal fans were devastated after he passed away in January this year following a battle with kidney disease, but owners Claire and Adam Owens wanted to ensure there was a lasting tribute to Brutus, who brought untold amounts of joy to Morrisons customers and staff.

A crowdfunding appeal raised more than £1,000 in less than 24 hours and the donations have continued to roll in ever since.

Claire, a veterinary nurse, said a clay mould of Brutus has already been sculpted and is currently waiting to be made into bronze, and she’s hoping the statue will be ready to be officially unveiled in Morrisons this coming July.

The statue of Brutus the Morrisons Cat in progress

“The bronze will show up the different shades to his fur and will be made darker in places to show his tabby stripes,” she explained. “It will take around a couple of months to make so hopefully it will be in the store some time in July.

“Jane Robbins who has made the sculpture has done an absolutely amazing job just working from photographs, having never met our beautiful boy herself.

“We just want to say thank you to all who donated toward this statue and made it possible to make him immortalised within his favourite place. I hope by seeing his statue in Morrisons it will bring smiles to people’s faces.”

There are regular get togethers every fortnight in Morrisons to remember Brutus, and the next one will be this Thursday (May 11) at 3pm.

Claire said the invitation is open to anyone who wants to come and meet up with others who have Brutus as a common interest.

“It’s a lovely way for people to get to know others locally and make friends, and we talk about all sorts, not just Brutus,” she said.

“We miss Brutus so much, it’s not the same without him and especially miss seeing him lounging outside in the sun at Morrisons upside down showing off his fluff to the world.”

You can donate to the Brutus statue appeal by clicking here.

The remaining funds will be distributed to local animal rescue centres.