Sixteen years ago a bedraggled alley cat padded into Umhlanga’s five-star Oyster Box hotel, plonked himself on the lobby couch and made himself at home.
Skabenga soon established himself as resident in chief and started hobnobbing with royalty and the world’s rich and famous.
He became accustomed to feasting on fancy treats, lounging by the pool, snuggling with [or sometimes snarling at] the hotel’s wealthy guests prowling around the foyer in designer feline apparel.
On Tuesday, the famous tabby took his last breath at the age of 19. The announcement of his death sparked an outpouring of condolences from around the world.
“For more years than anyone can remember, Skabenga has ruled The Oyster Box,” said the hotel’s manager Ashwin Jose.
“It seems ironic that a cat whose name means ‘hooligan or vagabond’ when translated from isiZulu, was actually VIP guest numero uno, at one of the world’s leading hotels. Skabenga was a legend in his own right.”
The tabby had a dozen staff to indulge his every whim, including a concierge to update his Facebook profile, which has nearly 7,000 followers.
Many guests reminisced about him on social media this week after the news that he had died.
Siyanda Calvin Ntenga wrote: If you’ve been to Oyster Box, you’ve probably seen this cat, which acted like it owned the hotel. This cat lived a life of luxury, met local and international celebrities — and was featured on TV and in newspapers more times than many local celebrities.”
The lobby couch was Skabenga’s favourite spot — ideal for overseeing the comings and goings of hotel guests. During check-in, he made his presence felt at the front desk, and sometimes meowed loudly to remind staff he needed attention.
Lunch was often a hearty kingklip, prepared by the resident chef, followed by a nap atop one of the hotel’s luxury cars or at the poolside.
His birthday parties became a tradition.
Often as many as 70 to 80 guests, mainly children accompanied by their parents, attended the cat’s themed parties including Skabenga in a Hat — a play on Dr Seuss’s Cat in the Hat, The Little Mermaid Under The Sea inspired party and Skabenga in Wonderland, much like Alice in Wonderland.
The hotel’s chefs provided themed birthday cakes, macaroons, cakesicles and other delicacies.
Skabenga was an unofficial guest at Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco's swanky cocktail reception at the hotel in 2011. The Monaco Times reported: “If you really wanted to get the inside story you'd probably have to consult resident Oyster Box feline Skabenga, who took over the red carpet for much of the night and managed to give security the slip on a number of occasions.”
Said Jose: “Skabenga knew The Oyster Box better than anybody else in the world. Every nook and cranny, from the kitchen to The Presidential Suite. Every famous guest that has ever visited and every special occasion that has ever been celebrated over the years, he was a part of.”
Despite his sometimes grumpy nature, Skabenga had ingratiated himself with the hotel’s staff, who have been left heartbroken by his death. “Skabenga always had this mischievous way of meowing, ‘asking’ you to open a door for him, but the moment you did, he’d literally turn around and walk the other way,” Oyster Box staffer Simone Combrink told the Sunday Times.
“I always had a giggle thinking about him making the humans do things on his behalf, just to toy with them. I will also dearly miss the rare mornings where Skabenga was feeling extra lovable and would rub up against my legs as I walked through reception.”
Ricci-lee Quinton, another staff member, described him as a “sweet boy”.
“I will miss being called to come pick you up because you were stalking a dog at reception. You had a personality larger than life.”
The hotel’s Connie Thomson regarded Skabenga not as a mere workplace cat but family. “He had a way of making work feel more like home, reminding us to pause, to appreciate the little things. Whether he was curled up in a cosy corner or strolling around like he owned the place — which, let’s be honest, he did — his presence was a constant source of comfort.”
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.