Precious the cat will be allowed to live out her final days at a pub in North Queensland after earlier being banned by the local council, as long as she stays away from food preparation areas.
The senior Siamese has now resumed her place in the Koumala Hotel's pool room, south of Sarina, after intervention by Queensland parliamentarians.
In late August, Mackay Regional Council gave her owners 14 days to rehome her, after council inspectors found her in the restaurant areas.
The National Food Standards Code bans animals from bars and dining areas where food or drinks are served.
But Health Minister Shannon Fentiman said she intervened for the sake of common sense, after an appeal from the Member for Mirani Stephen Andrew.
"We have national food standards, which very sensibly says you're not supposed to have animals where food is prepared," Ms Fentiman said.
"But given this a pub and it's a big premises, I picked up the phone to the mayor and I said, if Precious stays away from where the food is prepared, let's let her live out her last years at home."
"I'm not sure how many more of her nine lives she has got left in her 18 years of age, but she's been there forever and we just want her to live out her last days of life at the pub.
"I know that the owners and the whole town is just really thrilled that she can stay."
Precious spends her days on a couch in the pub school room. (ABC Tropical North: Jenae Madden)
Ms Fentiman said there was a case for more flexibility in the law to allow animals in cafes and restaurants.
"We have a meeting of food ministers … and I have put that on the agenda so we can just have a bit more flexibility for some conditions for situations like these," she said.
Precious is thought to be about 18 years old and has lived at the hotel for the past 14 years.
Popular outcome
The historic hotel, built in 1939, is a popular watering hole for locals, surrounding graziers and sugar cane workers, as well as fishermen, and grey nomads breaking up their Bruce Highway travels.
Hotel owner Rowena Colgrave said Precious spent most of her days sleeping in the sun.
"Locals love Precious and everyone knows where she is and that's in the pool room on the couch," she said.
The Koumala Hotel is a regular spot where graziers and cane farmers stop for an after-work beer. (Jenae Madden)
When details of the council's eviction notice were posted to the Koumala Pub's Facebook page on August 29, the small community rallied to get the decision overturned.
An online petition gained 7,000 signatures, 10 times the population of Koumala.
The case for change
La Trobe University researcher Tiffani Howell specialises in human and animal relationships.
She said there was an argument to allow cats in the same public spaces as dogs.
Dogs are allowed in outdoor dining areas if allowed by the food service business owner.
"It will depend on the individual cat," Dr Howell said.
"If an animal enjoys being in new places and that animal is under the control of the owner, I don't really see the rationale in having species-specific exceptions to the rules."
She said Australia's laws around pets in public were conservative compared to Europe.
"There you see more well-behaved animals out and about with their owners and entering supermarkets, cafes, pubs and restaurants," she said.
"But it does seem to be more conservative in Australia."
Dr Howell said animal interaction helped counter loneliness, particularly in rural areas where there was more isolation.
"If the presence of an animal is what gets people communicating with each other, then that might be really important."