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Ashes of beloved Burnaby cat stolen during New Westminster burger run

A Burnaby cat owner is hoping against hope for the return of a beloved feline’s ashes after they were stolen from a New Westminster Burger King on St. Patrick’s Day.
cat ashes, Zsuzsa
Zsuzsa in better times. A cedar urn holding Zsuzsa's ashes was stolen at a New Westminster Burger King on St. Patrick's Day but turned in to police after a story about the theft was published in the local newspaper.

A Burnaby cat owner is hoping against hope for the return of a beloved feline’s ashes after they were stolen from a New Westminster Burger King on St. Patrick’s Day.

Zsuzsa was a private cat with knowing yellow-green eyes and the softest fur, according to owner Jennifer Steel, who got the tabby as a kitten in 2006.

“She was a bit of a loner,” Steel said. “She just stuck to herself. Her favourite spot was sitting in the window, looking outside.”

The 12-year-old cat wasn’t spayed until later in life, according to Steel, but never mothered a litter of kittens despite many a late-night liaison.

“She got around,” Steel said with a laugh. “She got called names by my friend.”

Not shy of adventure, Zsuzsa once had to get one of her teeth fixed after she lost it in a fight.

And, even in death, Zsuzsa wasn't done with adventures, according to Steel.

cat ashes, cedar box
A cedar box like this one held Zsuzsa's ashes. The Burnaby cat's owner is hoping the box will be returned after it was stolen at a New Westminster Burger King on St. Patrick's Day. - Until We Meet Again

The tabby was put down at the Vancouver SPCA Hospital earlier this month after a brief battle with cancer, and Steel’s brother, Rowan paid $125 for a private cremation through the Until We Meet Again pet memorial centre.

He agreed to pick up and deliver the cedar box containing Zsuzsa’s ashes to Steel on March 17, but he stopped for a burger on the way at the New Westminster Burger King on Sixth Street.

cat ashes
A cedar urn inside this cardboard box contained Zsuzsa ashes. The Burnaby cat's owner is hoping the box will be returned after it was stolen at a New Westminster Burger King on St. Patrick's Day. - Contributed

When he got up to leave, his bags (one of which held the cedar box) were gone, according to Steel.

She and her brother have since looked in every bin and dumpster in the area and searched the mall across the street, she said, but to no avail.

Steel said New West police have told her it was unlikely the ashes would be returned, but she’s holding out hope.

“I am hoping in a big way that Zsuzsa's ashes will be returned. No questions asked,” she said.

“I was just looking forward to having her on my bedroom dresser and just knowing she’s still here, even though it’s her ashes, something tangible.”