Originally Posted by
Eaststand
My memory can sometimes be a bit iffy, but the stories about the big cat are all 100% true, and unbelievably in the early 70s the cat could sit inside the pub behind the big windows looking out onto commercial street.
I'm fairly sure the pub in question was at that point called the Merrymaker, it was located on the corner next to the water of Leith opp the customs House, and was owned by a family friend called Graham.
The cat used to get to walk around the pub after closing time and it usually was fine or so Graham the bar owner said. I witnessed this a few times after closing and it just walked around the pub like a big dog would.
Unfortunately Graham was wrong to trust the cat as it attacked a gogo dancer stopping in for a closed door drink after the then 10pm closing time.
She wasn't seriously hurt, just a few scratches, but it must have been a terrifying experience for her.
I'm fairly sure the evening news ran a story and pics when it happened.
The cat was supposed to have been gotten rid of, but I believe it was transferred secretly to a secure kennels in Edinburgh and lived happily ever after
Leithers nowadays have never lived 😂🐱