Sandy was a Maine Coon cat who lived with the Stevens family in Portland. The Maine Coon breed originated in Maine and was a very popular pet around 1900, when Sandy was part of the Stevens home.

Maine Coons have long and thick fur coats, tufted ears, and snowshoe feet, leading to numerous origin stories. Some suggest they are raccoon or bobcat hybrids or descendants of Norwegian Forest cats, brought to Maine on Viking ships. In reality, the Maine Coon trace their lineage to English settler colonialists who started communities in Maine in the 1600s. Today, the Maine Coon is the state of Maine cat.

Sarah Stevens painted this portrait of Sandy after the cat died. She wrote, "My heart is broken, dear little friend, good-bye, Sandy Stevens, 1903" on the back of this artwork.