Lily
It never ceases to amaze me where we’ll find cats these days and what cats are doing. I mean, they’re working in the field of therapy for the elderly and ailing. Cats have been known to rescue people from fires and other calamities. They are models—oh my, aren’t there some charming photos of cats on calendars, book covers, posters, clothing—everything imaginable. Cats are companions, hunters, guards, and so much more. Through history, they’ve saved civilizations from horrific diseases carried by rodents, for example. Cats have certainly been exalted through the Internet—I believe there’s more appreciation for cats than ever before.
Today, I’d like to talk about how some people have saved cats and added an element of charm to their businesses by taking in a stray or adopting a cat from a shelter and making him a shop cat or a library cat.
You’ve probably all read about Dewey, the most famous library cat around. More famous because the many articles about him and the book the librarian wrote about him after she retired. You should know, however, that there are estimated to be about 300 library cats world-wide. And close to 500 shop cats just in the US.
How does a cat become a shop cat or library cat? Some of the cats just wander into the 
shop and practically apply for the job. Many are strays looking for a warm place to rest. Some shop owners adopt one or two cats from a shelter to grace their shop or the library. Most of the cats come with stories. Dewey, for example, was found one winter morning in the book drop at the library. A couple of shop owners I interviewed years ago for an article said they didn’t like leaving their rather social cats at home, so they started taking them to work with them. One cat was thought to have escaped from his family’s RV and found his way to a library where he became a fixture.
The Huffington Post recently ran an article featuring shop cats in New York. Here’s the link if you’d like to meet the cats. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/shop-cats-of-new-york-photos_us_58fa8589e4b00fa7de1475e9?utm_hp_ref=cats
Check it out, you’ll meet Matilida, the manager of a hotel; King Jeffle, who works at a distillery; Patti, who greets guests at a sporting goods store; Spooky, who works at a bike shop and other charming kitty-prenuers.
What do cats bring to a business? For some, sneezes, unfortunately. Twenty-five percent of 
people with allergies are allergic to cats. So not everyone is pleased to see a cat when they walk into a store or library. However, those without allergies and at least a mild interest in animals, enjoy being greeted feline style when they walk into their favorite dry cleaners or bookstore or business center, etc. If I see a cat on the counter at a place of business, it brings a smile to my face. What better way to start a business transaction? Plus, employees find they are calmer when they have a cat curled up in their in-basket or their lap.
