The cutest tourist trap in town. A look at the popular Myrtle Beach Boardwalk cats

Along the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk, tourists stop, stare and pull out their phones to take pictures of a tabby cat with a missing ear tip sitting on the railing.

She stares at them as they talk among themselves about her cuteness, basking in their attention.

After a minute, she jumps down and walks up to the tourists, rubbing against their legs as they reach down to pet her.

The tabby cat, known by locals as “Mama” or “Green Eyes,” is one of around 10 cats that live along the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk. All of the cats are feral and have made the tourist-ridden area their forever home.

Stacey Marlow, a Lead Gold Cap Ambassador along the boardwalk, said that there have been cats on the boardwalk since she started in 2020. The main cats she sees are Mama, a tan cat named Sandy, and a colony of black and white cats near the SkyWheel.

The cats have built themselves a small community that includes the Gold Cap Ambassadors, the Jehovah’s Witnesses who stand along the boardwalk and the retirees that keep the cats well-fed.

‘The whole boardwalk takes care of the kitties’

The cats’ main caretaker is a man known as Bob, Marlow said. The Sun News was not able to get in contact with Bob before publication.

He typically comes to the boardwalk once a day and feeds the cats wet food, dry food and milk, Marlow said. He places containers around the area and once the cats have eaten, he picks up all the dishes but leaves one filled with food for Mama.

The man will bring cat toys and try to play with the cats in an attempt to socialize them. Most of the cats along the boardwalk are skittish and won’t let people near them, except Mama. Marlow said Bob is the reason Mama is friendly with people.

Bob isn’t the only food source for the cats. Marlow said snowbirds love to feed the cats and employees at various businesses will also put out food. One woman will sometimes put a can of wet food outside during her shift and picks up the empty can before she leaves for the day.

“The whole boardwalk takes care of the kitties,” Marlow said.

Cats adopted out when possible

Although some boardwalk cats are too feral to live with people, cats are adopted out when possible, said Grand Strand Humane Society Director Jess Wnuk.

The Humane Society has captured cats along the boardwalk to “trap-neuter-release” the animals. This process is commonly called TNR.

Once in the shelter, veterinarians will perform spays or neuters, give cats shots and hold them for a few days for recovery, Wnuk said. If the cats are friendly, young or old, the shelter will then adopt them out.

If the cats are too feral, they will clip off the tip of the cat’s left ear to signify it has been fixed and received shots. Then they are released back to where they are caught. TNR allows the shelter to control the cat colony by preventing reproduction.

Marlow said a Canadian woman who spends her winters in Myrtle Beach caught a boardwalk cat and adopted it a few years ago. She brought it back to Canada with her and showed Marlow pictures the following winter. She named the cat Myrtle.

Feeding cats — even when it’s illegal

According to Myrtle Beach city ordinances , it’s illegal to feed any feral animals along the boardwalk. It does not state what the penalty is for breaking the law.

Marlow said Bob has had a run-in with officers before and it did not go well. Despite that, he will continue to feed the cats.

When asked about it being illegal to feed the cats, Wnuk said the animals need to be taken care of in a humane way. She said the best way to take care of the cats is to feed them privately at the same time everyday.

“It’s unfair to be cruel to animals that didn’t ask to be put there,” Wnuk said. “It’s our responsibility to help them.”