Bronze Susie cat statue emerges from foundry

A statue of a town's famous cat has been cast in bronze, with the sculptor sharing the first images of the work-in-progress from the foundry.

Ama Menec has been commissioned to create a statue of Susie, whose adventures in Dorchester, Dorset, are followed by more than 13,000 people on Facebook.

The Weymouth-based artist said she was "really pleased with the quality of the casting" by Pangolin Editions in Gloucestershire.

The next steps involve filling, welding and patination, before it is installed in Dorchester's South Street.

The casting process began on 3 July and Menec says she is on target for the unveiling, scheduled for 22 November.

A roman tile, which is also part of the design, was also cast and "both are looking fabulous", she said.

The bronze casts have been washed and sandblasted to get any remaining plaster and clay out of the crevices and ears.

"Hopefully the tidying up of the metal work will start sometime next week," said Menec.

"There is also still the welding of a plate underneath Susie to be done, plus fixing rods to be attached to the underside of both pieces.

"Once that is done I can then oversee the patination."

She said the silver and tan parts of the cat would be patinated, while the gold areas would be brushed back.

Menec said Pangolin used an "innovative method of casting" Susie which uses a partial vacuum.

She said the method "picks out all the fine detail of her markings, and also casts the piece in one piece, that doesn't need welding together later, but she is also hollow".

"It's very clever technology and I've never seen it used before," she said.

"All of the foundry workers are cat lovers, and they all want to know the backstory of Susie the Dorchester cat.

"Susie's sculpture is in very safe hands."

Susie moved to Dorchester with owners Linda and Michael Crow when they came to stay with their daughter, Jenny Graves, in 2023.

After receiving multiple calls from people believing she was lost, they changed her name tag to say "Susie - not lost, just adventurous".

She is often spotted in shops and businesses, with Facebook followers sharing sightings and people visiting the town in the hope of spotting her.

Susie has also featured in a children's book, postcards and a calendar, which have raised thousands for charity.

The 38cm-high (15in) statue, commissioned by a local historian, will be installed outside Julia's House charity shop at eye level for small children, on a 75cm-high (30in) plinth.