Steph Hewitt from our Mitcham Clinic very kindly told us this delightful tale of the Mitcham Squatter. What we do for the love of a pet!

This may be a lighthearted story, but a story indeed! In the year 2000, Physiotherapist Dr David Spurrier’s dream of installing South Australia’s first and only SwimEx pool became a reality. The pool was shipped from America and sat inside a shipping container in our carpark.

The front of the building at 9 Princes Road (previously 2 garden beds) was razed in preparation for redevelopment to accommodate the new pool.

A giant camelia tree in the front garden was relocated to a garden in the Mitcham area where it still stands and flowers today.

While the renovations continued a stray homeless cat decided to take up residence. Once the site was sealed (windows and door in) this cat was trapped. At night time it would appear and members from the gym next door would ring us to inform us that this black and white cat would peer at them through the glass. As we knew he was there (and being absolute suckers for animals) food and drink was provided.

Being a very polite squatter, he would use the builder’s sand as his toilet tray. Unfortunately, one night he got very spooked and jumped into the cemented area waiting for the pool to be craned into.

So now the dilemma required a ladder to be left so that he could come up at night. Many attempts to capture him were made and finally, one day the builder’s wife, sitting in the big hole, managed to lure him into a cage.

As the day he was captured coincided with George Harrison’s (of The Beatles fame) birthday he was appropriately named ‘’Harry” and he came to live with Steph. Harry was a very individual cat who was quite crazy but very truly loved. He is in cat heaven but always will be remembered with love.

_{Banner photo by Freepik}