The sculpture will be hollow and cast in sections “like a Lindt bunny”, explained Menec.
“There will be areas where there is no texture so they use stamps and chisels.
“They refer to the original so they know where there should be stripes and where it should be smooth.”
The bronze version will be sandblasted before the patination process, using metal salts and a gas gun, which presents a challenge in the summer heat.
“We are in a metal shed with a metal roof with up to six people with gas torches going at the same time,” said Menac.
“With Susie, we will have to patinate the areas that are silver and tan. The gold areas will need to be brushed back.”
Susie moved to Dorchester with owners Linda and Michael Crow when they came to stay with their daughter, Jenny Graves, in 2023.
After receiving multiple calls from people believing she was lost, they changed her name tag to say “Susie – not lost, just adventurous”.
Facebook followers share sightings of the cat, which has also featured in a children’s book, postcards and a calendar, raising thousands for charity.
The 38cm-high (15in) statue, commissioned by a local historian, will be installed outside Julia’s House charity shop at eye level for small children, on a 75cm-high (30in) plinth.