KINGSTON — A furry friend who often greeted commuters who drove by the ferry terminal tollbooths in the Little City by the Sea has found another place to hang out.

Target, the orange-striped cat that lived at the Washington State Ferry Employee’s Shelter at the Kingston terminal, died April 5.

The stray feline, who made the North End docks his home for more than 14 years, was put to sleep Monday evening after a battle with borderline diabetes and old age.

Target first showed up in Kingston in the fall of 1989 as a lost but well-fed and healthy cat, said WSF worker Karen Paterson.

“But he must have known a good thing” when he found the terminal, she added with a laugh.

He was named by Kingston resident and WSF employee Terry Drowns because of the bull’s-eye-like markings on the side of this body.

The cat became a big part of the ferry commuter and employee family, as riders waiting for the Edmonds-Kingston boat would often visit with him. He also bridged a gap between ferry workers and commuters, Paterson observed.

“He was our own cat,” said WSF employee Sara Newton. “One thing about Target — if you were feeling gloomy, you had Target to get you through.”

Over time, the employees found Target’s personality didn’t include being a hunter, as they tried to make him catch mice but were unsuccessful. He was also a very relaxed kitty, as at one point, he was considered “hefty” and workers tried to make the cat get some exercise.

But it didn’t matter how passive he was, he was a good cat in everyone’s eyes.

“He was a sweetheart,” Newton said.

The workers had beds, food, toys, even a cat door for both Target and his identical companion, Skittles, who came to live at the dock in the 1990s. Employees would also take turns taking the two felines to the veterinarian.

Both Skittles and Target knew their roles around the property. If they were hungry and were out of food, they would go to the tollbooth and meow until someone fed them. Other times, Target would jump inside the booth and hang out with the ferry worker taking fares, greeting the cars that drove through.

However, as with people, Target’s health started to decline in the past several years. He lost his teeth and was diagnosed with borderline diabetes. Commuters even started donating a few bucks here and there to help pay for his bills as he got older.

WSF ferry worker Paula Abel was the one who received the bad news when she took Target to the vet on Monday for a steroid shot for his diabetes. That’s when the doctor found fluid in his one of his lungs and a decision had to be made.

“Bottom line — we knew,” Paterson said. “The steroid shots were getting harder and harder on him.”

Skittles was found Wednesday morning lying next to Target’s favorite toy, a purple frog. Paterson and her fellow workers said Target helped Skittles become more accustomed to people, as he was a wild cat when he came to live at the terminal.

It took three to four years of hanging out with Target before Skittles would let anyone touch him, Paterson said.

Target will be cremated and his ashes will be brought back to the ferry terminal.

There is still some debt with Target’s vet bill. If residents would like to make a donation, ferry workers ask it be sent to the Companion Animal Wellness Center, 16404 Lemolo Shore Dr., NE Poulsbo, 98370.