Eastbourne cat constantly mistaken for stray due to love of visiting local Sainsbury's

Stacey Deanna Oliver, of Mallard Close, once received 27 calls in one day from people alerting her that her ‘lost’ cat had been found.

For nine years, Frankie the feline has been mistaken daily for a stray because of her love for visiting Sainsbury’s in Hampden Park.

Locals can often find her sitting on a bench outside or sleeping on displays inside the store.

While she’s a much-loved feature of the area, Stacey has had to take to social media on several occasions to make it clear Frankie is not lost, and actually just lives a few hundred yards away.

"I understand people’s concerns because they think that she’s a stray cat but, if she’s got a collar on, obviously she’s not lost,” she said.

"It drives me mad when she gets taken to the vets five times a day. When the vets call me now, I say: ‘can you ask them to please drop her back off at Sainsbury’s?’”

Stacey said she ‘doesn’t mind’ Frankie visiting the local supermarket, but wishes people would stop feeding her, as she has been known to venture out for ‘six to seven weeks at a time’ and is now overweight from all the extra meals.

She added: "I’ve seen food bowls there where people are buying her bowls and feeding her tuna. She’ll then come back home and have another dinner.

"I can’t stop them from feeding her, she’s just a lovable cat.

"We’ve been in there when it’s been raining and people have actually taken off their jacket and put it round her when she’s sitting on the bench.

“She’s just an attention seeker. She loves a fuss made of her.”

When she’s not at Sainsbury’s, Frankie can also be spotted at East Sussex College, as well as St Wilfrid’s Hospice where she has been known to ‘comfort people in times of need’, according to Stacey.

“One lady, when her partner passed away, Frankie was sitting with her and sort of cuddled up to her and her son,” Stacey said.

“She said it was really comforting to her. I thought it was really nice of her to reach out.”