Oxfordshire, UK - Steve the cat was the unofficial boss at a hardware store in Oxfordshire until he met a tragic end in the store's parking lot.

"Steve was a stray from a little town in southern Ireland who kept following me home when I lived there," his former owner Jay Harrison told the BBC. Jay eventually decided to take him in.

When Jay moved in 2011 and took in another cat, Steve left.

But he didn't disappear!

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Instead, Steve became a fixture at the local hardware store.

"We found out that he had been spending his time at Wickes in Bicester and he basically lived there since 2015," Jay explained.

Steve loved his new hardware home and the staff appreciated his presence so much that they gave the furball a job – and a uniform! The cat was gifted with an adorable safety vest and his own space in the staff room.

Steve lived happily among paint buckets, lawnmowers, and laminate floors for eight years.

Last week, Steve's life came to a tragic end when the now 14-year-old cat was run over in the store's parking lot. Now his community has come together to mourn their furry fallen friend.

The Facebook page that Steve's owners set up in his honor has currently got a whopping 2,000 followers and counting.

Sarah Harris described Steve as "a cat for the community."

"We are devastated as a family but the joy and love he has given to people is a comfort," she said.

To honor Steve even further, they launched a fundraising campaign for a memorial plaque as well as the local animal shelter.