The 13-year-old feline would bask in settling down on the asphalt to watch birds and chipmunks go about their daily business.
Little did Sly, or his loving family, know that this would be his last day alive.
Owner Jean Hunt was in the backyard of her Florwin Drive home when she heard her cat scream and immediately darted to the driveway.
What she witnessed was every cat owner’s worst nightmare.
"He was in the driveway being mauled by two large dogs,” said Hunt of the July 14 attack.
She quickly grabbed a broom, ran out to where the attack was taking place, screamed, then banged the broom down on the ground.
"They did not let go of him,” Hunt said, sadness still evident in her voice.
“I ran slightly closer, but I was a little bit afraid to get too close. I didn't know what the potential was for these dogs."
Hunt was unfamiliar with the animals, described as “unusual, not a common breed I have ever seen."
She screamed a second time, banged the broom again and the dogs finally darted off.
"My cat was able to get up and walk into the door of the house, but collapsed inside the door."
The immediate Hunt family — Jean’s husband and two sons share the Florwin Drive residence — and extended clan are simply heart-broken. (Jean’s sister also witnessed the attack.)
"We were all entirely attached to this cat ... He was a member of the family,” Hunt said. "There's a real void here. I still find myself turning around and thinking, 'I better go and open the door,' all the routine things we did with him on a regular basis."
A common, green space behind the Hunt’s property is a popular dog-walk destination — and most animals are leashed.
“But, let's face it, if people feel there is a safe place to have their dogs off-leash, it's probably in the bush,” Hunt said. “So people do, I would imagine, let their dogs off-leash here."
Unfortunately for Sly, that was the case July 14. And if the attack itself wasn’t brutal enough, what happened last Friday night was downright eerie. The family was gathered in the Hunt’s backyard, where Sly’s ashes were to be scattered.
Folks were sitting on a patio when the same two dogs appeared at the back gate.
"They were off-leash again,” Hunt said. “The owner was in the bush."
The Hunts confronted the individual — Jean won’t name the woman — and, “We had fairly strong words with this person."
The response: "In a nutshell, 'I'm sorry it happened. I’ll buy you a new cat.'"
No apology. No promise of not letting her dogs off the leash again.
Hunt reported the attack to the Sault Ste. Marie Humane Society, which told The Sault Star Tuesday it won’t comment on specific cases.
By law, any dog found in any place other than the premises of its owner, and not on a leash six feet or less in length, is considered running at large.
"Hopefully, further steps are being taken to ensure that this person will keep her dogs on the leash at all times and not let them off at all,” said Hunt, adding she’s heard of other possible area attacks by the two dogs in question. In one case, the feline victim remains missing.
"This is no reflection on all dogs at all,” Hunt said. “It's just a reflection on dog owners. I know that a dog has a natural want to chase a cat. That’s the way things go. Cats chase mice. Dog chase cats."
[Here's an idea, lady. Keep your cat inside!]
The Hunts adopted Sly from the Sault Ste. Marie Humane Society when he was three and are considering getting another cat from there.
"Our house is not a home without a cat, so I probably will (adopt),” Hunt said. “And there's so many at the Humane Society that need rescuing."
(Sault Star - July 23, 2013)
