This author was in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, with her mother and decided to visit the charming Sheafe Street Books.

As we looked at the shelves, one particular book caught our attention. It was a children’s book called Cat memorial bridge by Crystal Ward Kent, with illustrations by her and Denise F. Brown. When we realized this was about the Memorial Bridge from Portsmouth to Kittery, Maine, our interest was immediately piqued.

“A cat hanging around the Memorial Bridge? How have we never heard of this before?”we wondered.

It was time to do some research. And what I found was the sweetest story you’ll hear all week.

According to this 2013 article from SeacoastOnline , the cat in question was named Slim. After his owner moved, the outdoor tiger cat was left in the care of a man named Sean Rooney, who was tasked with looking after the furry fellow.

It quickly became apparent that Slim was a creature of habit. The SeacoastOnline article explains that Slim would often travel from Badger’s Island in Kittery to Portsmouth when the Memorial Bridge was open. He did this primarily at night, which required Rooney to pick up the cat several times when strangers found him.

The introduction to Cat memorial bridge tells more about Slim’s story. Apparently, the cat was well-known and beloved in the community. He frequented Rosa’s Restaurant and enjoyed bowls of ice cream from a “local church kitchen.” At one point, when the bridge was closed, Slim even attempted to swim across the Piscataqua River several times in an attempt to reach Portsmouth. Talk about a determined cat.

Since Slim was 10 years old in 2013, we can only assume he’s passed away by now. But thanks to Crystal and Denise, his legacy lives on in the adorable children’s book, which is located in a bookstore just a stone’s throw from the bridge he loved so much.

To order your own copy Cat memorial bridgeclick here. You can also see a photo of Slim and read more about his story here.