The death of a railway station cat with hundreds of thousands of social media followers has sparked an outpouring of grief.

Felix, who was given the title of senior pest controller at Huddersfield station, West Yorkshire, was “more than a cat”, operator TransPennine Express (TPE) said.

She shot to fame in 2015 when a passenger created a Facebook page for her with photos showing her wearing a name badge and high-vis vest while on patrol.

I’m writing this whilst crying

TPE said Felix, aged 12, was put to sleep by a vet on Sunday after the discovery of tumours which caused “medical complications”.

Station manager Angie Hunte, who comforted the cat during her final moments, said: “Felix was more than a cat; she was a beloved member of our station family and left her paw prints on many commuters’ hearts as they passed through the station.

“Her presence brought smiles to visitors from around the world, making Huddersfield station a special place. We will miss her dearly.”

A Facebook post announcing her death attracted thousands of comments and reactions in just an hour.

One person wrote: “I can’t believe it. I’m writing this whilst crying. I feel like I have lost one of my own cats.”

Another commented: “Just heartbroken, such very sad news. I’m in tears reading this. I never met you dear Felix, but I loved you so much.”

TPE urged Felix’s fans to express their sympathy online rather than visit the station.

Her Facebook page has 170,000 followers, and accounts dedicated to her on other social media platforms have tens of thousands of followers.

TPE said a “fitting memorial will be arranged in due course”.

The company advised people not to donate to online fundraisers that may be created in the cat’s honour as it “cannot guarantee” where proceeds would go.

Felix and her apprentice cat Bolt – who joined her in 2018 – have featured in calendars and books, raising more than £240,000 for charitable causes.