One of Cape Town's most famous moggies, a former feral cat who went on to become a Mother City institution, has died.
Max, the resident cat at the historic Old Town House Museum on Greenmarket Square passed away peacefully on Friday in the courtyard that has been his home for the last 15 years.
He was buried in the corner of the museum's courtyard garden during a short, but moving ceremony on Saturday morning.
Max's custodian, David Brereton, said staff of the Ivy garden restaurant that operates in the museum's courtyard found Max's body behind rose bushes in the courtyard.
Among those who gathered to bid their farewells to Max was former curator of the museum, Hans Fransen, and his daughter, Kari Longman, who found Max on the streets 15 years ago.
Longman took him to her father, who put Max in the courtyard to see if he liked it there.
She said that when she found Max he was already aged between one or two years old, making him at least 16 or 17 at the time of his death - the equivalent of about 81 years.
Fransen said he had fond memories of the cheeky feline, who always had "a very regal personality".
"I remember he used to sit on my desk and pretty much do anything he wanted. He would walk among the guests and sit on whatever lap he chose to," he said sadly.
"It is a sad day but it had to happen sometime ... it was his time."
Ivor Crews, owner of the restaurant, said that Max was named after Max Michaelis, a wealthy patron of the arts who had donated much of the artwork on display in the museum.
Max was loved by many of the museum and restaurant's guests who would often pop in for a visit just to check up on him, said Crews.
"He was a very happy cat and would often be fed snacks by visitors, which meant he was very overweight as well."
Five years ago Max's fans rallied to support him when the new management of Iziko said they wanted to get rid of him.
Brereton said that one thing he would always remember about Max was his love for functions and concerts, when he would often stroll through the legs of musicians while they were performing.
"All in all he was a dearly beloved cat," said Brereton.
"He will be lovingly remembered by the Friends of the Iziko Michaelis Collection, the Old Town House Museum and the people from the Ivy Garden restaurant."