Swaffham’s Sam the Cat who ‘touched the hearts of many’ dies age 16

Hundreds have been left heartbroken over the death of a “free-spirited” feline whose paws “touched the hearts of many”.

Sam the Cat was something of a Swaffham celebrity and would often be seen by residents roaming the streets getting up to all sorts of mischief.

The 16-year-old ginger furry friend had his own Facebook following of more than 1,400 and, as people spotted him, they would post photos using the hashtag #Samthecat.

On Monday, his owner Nicky Holder announced that the “larger than life character” had passed away, and his fans flocked to the comments to share memories and condolences.

“He was so unique,” Nicky said.

“He lived his best life, he knew which side his bread was buttered on, and he had a nice little place to sleep at night.”

Nicky took Sam in when he became a regular visitor to her former workplace One Traveller.

Initially, the cat did already have an owner, but he didn’t get on with his fellow felines, so he and Nicky ended up “adopting each other”.

“He used to come in every day and sleep there, so we ended up putting a cat flap in the office, took ownership of him and paid for his vet bills.”

When it came to lockdown, Nicky took Sam home to look after him, but once restrictions had lifted, he was straight back to his old shenanigans.

“Sam used to jump in people’s cars all the time,” she added.

“I had to pick him up from Norwich and from Watton once because he had gotten into somebody’s van or somebody had found him thinking he was a stray.”

When he wasn’t travelling across the county, Sam would visit all his favourite town spots to see people, including Waitrose, the doctor’s surgery, residential homes, the police station, and - although Nicky stopped working at One Traveller - he would still go back and visit the staff there too.

A spokesperson from the tour operator said: “Sam wasn’t just a cat, he was one of us - a true part of the One Traveller family.

“He greeted us each morning, joined our meetings, kept us company on lunch breaks, and curled up beside us at our desks.

“He even got involved with brochure launches, featured in One Voice, made appearances on our social media, joined radio interviews with our director Ian and occasionally claimed the back seat of someone’s car for an afternoon snooze.

“From making his way round each one of us for fuss, to finding the warmest patch of sunlight, Sam had a way of making everything feel lighter.

“His gentle presence reminded us to slow down, breathe, and appreciate the little things.

“Now, with heavy hearts, we say goodbye to our beloved companion.

“Sam brought joy, comfort, and calm to our days, and those memories will stay with us always.

“His spirit lingers in every sunbeam, every soft paw print on a desk, and in the warmth he left behind.

“Though he may no longer curl up beside us, Sam’s presence is forever part of One Traveller and always will be.

“He taught us about loyalty, love, and the beauty of quiet companionship.”

Nicky said that it was clear he was well-loved in the community based on the number of Facebook comments that had flooded in.

One user said: “Sam had a special place in our hearts, we were always greeted with a cheerful ‘meow’ when we walked up to Waitrose and, if I sat down, he would jump on my lap and purr loudly.”

Another added: “Sorry to read this, my late wife and I met Sam while on a trip home to Norfolk from the USA and always went looking for him when we were home.

“We followed him on Facebook and want to say thank you to all who looked after this lovely little soul.”