Store cat jobs..

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Cats never fill out applications. They usually refuse job interviews. Yet they somehow manage to find jobs in stores all over the country. Owners and managers may be unaware that they have the need for a store kitty, nor appreciate the value of employing one, until a cat saunters in and convinces them that she is invaluable. In search for store kitties, we’ve found cats at work in bookstores, record stores, clothing stores, dental labs, lawn & garden stores, pottery shops, nurseries, restaurants, dog washes and veterinary clinics among other places. By far, most store cats live where they work, since commuting isn’t generally on a cat’s list of pleasures. However, there are a few who don’t mind at all, and come to work each day with their owner. How do cats manage to get these jobs? Easy – they’re cute, and often, pathetic. Many store cats begin as homeless, scrawny kittens who just show up at stores. Some are found injured or abandoned. Once they’ve been fed and cared for, they take on very important responsibilities. They prove their worth and become indispensable. Here are just a few of the jobs we’ve found that store kitties perform: Greeter: Some are fairly nonchalant about it, just a simple meow from their lounging place. Then there are those who take greeting very seriously and do the full kitty-rub to all who enter. Public Relations: This is one of the most important functions of any store kitty. Once customers know that a store has a shop kitty, some tend to come back more often. Pest Control: Mice generally are not good for business and store cats are happy to perform the task of ousting them. Childcare: This is very good for business. Calico, the cat at Pieper’s Unfinished Furniture in St. Louis, Missouri, will meow loudly from her basket on a display table insisting that customers pet her. Children tend to stay and play with Calico, so their parents are able to focus on shopping. Office Assistant: Cats seem to be drawn to computer keyboards, monitors, scanners, copiers and fax machines, making the back office an ideal working environment. Their typing skills are fairly lame, but their ability to stop someone from typing is quite good, thus helping people avoid carpel tunnel syndrome. Supervisor: Cats are excellent at sitting and monitoring situations, quietly, keeping most of their comments to themselves. Their ability to find a perch that is over everyone’s heads makes them well suited for seeing to it that all are doing their jobs correctly. Inspector: Most humans don’t realize how important it is to have every delivery sniffed and marked, which is why store cats have to take over this duty. Once deliveries are given a proper nasal inspection and marked with the store cat’s scent, then it’s ok for packages to remain on the premise. Quality Control: Some store cats are also known to inspect customer orders or completed repairs before they are approved to go out the door. Window Display Design: Store kitties often take it upon themselves to rearrange the goods on display so as to put themselves in the picture, in the sunniest spot available. Security: Cats are a good judge of character. Peaches, the kitty at Pony Express in Washington, sits on the counter to greet customers, but will growl at certain people. The store owner trusts her cat’s instincts. Store cats are great for both the cat and the store owner. The cat has a purpose beyond being adorable, and the owner gets a wonderful employee for whom he doesn’t have to file a W-2 form.