The Cat Man barge in front of Tampa General

The Cat Man boat between Bayshore Blvd and Tampa General Hospital. Circa 1970. Gandy Collection. Courtesy of the University of South Florida Digital Collection

People who were around South Tampa from the early 1960s to 1975 will remember the small boat moored between Tampa General Hospital and Bayshore Blvd. It was home to the “Cat Man” Gerhard Stiller, who lived aboard his modified 40-foot World War II landing craft with up to 40 cats.

Passersby could occasionally see Stiller riding his fenderless bicycle with a large front basket as he went grocery shopping. Stiller was somewhat reclusive but would talk to those who spoke first. In the early 1970s, he granted an interview with a Tampa Tribune reporter, but was otherwise private. He suffered from spinal problems that left him hunched over when he walked.

Stiller was found dead aboard his craft in 1975, with reports saying he died of natural causes. The cats were taken by the Humane Society.

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