These shop cats at area businesses add cuteness free of charge
Lizzie, whose four tiny paws roamed the aisles at McDowell’s Emporium in Anderson for 15 years, lived a life—or maybe nine lives—of legends.
The bookshop’s longtime manager, Travis Pearson, says the cat would let anyone who walked through the door pick her up. When the store was quiet, she’d walk across the street to loiter outside a neighboring office building—looking both ways before crossing—in search of treats and affection. When McDowell’s hosted a writers’ group with the prompt “cat,” more than half of the participants spontaneously wrote stories about Lizzie.
“They turned it into a whole book called The Adventures of Lizzie, and there was even a second one, so she had two books written about her,” Pearson says. “Lizzie was a special cat.”
Lizzie’s memory lives on, but her shop-cat shoes have now been filled by Oliver (a Russian blue shorthair who Peason says is “like a dog”) and Finn (an English tabby who’s friendly but is more likely to do his own thing). Together, they are McDowell’s welcoming committee, and they sprint to the door whenever they hear the opening chime.
“We have a lot of people who come specifically for the cats. Forget about the books,” Pearson adds. It’s an experience reiterated by other store managers with a shop cat on staff.
“Legitimately, people will come in just to see her, and if she’s not available, they leave,” says Hub City Bookshop manager Zach Steele about the shop’s five-year-old feline, Zora. “Obviously there’s the rest of the people who actually come in here for books, too, but she’s our celebrity.”
Working cats have a long and storied history. They’ve allied themselves with merchants as mousers for centuries, and royal records show that the British government has employed a mouser-in-residence at the Office of the Prime Minister since the early 1900s. Larry, the incumbent Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office, was given that title in 2011, and has remained under royal employ through six administrations.
Where to Find Shop Cats
Lucky for local cat lovers, more than a dozen shops and businesses in the area have their own in-house kitties, and they’re reason enough to pop in for a visit. Willow, Herbie, and Wheezy are part of the team at Country Boys on Woodruff Road, while Cubby patrols the store’s Taylors location. Staff member Karen Thomas says Wheezy tends to stay in the warehouse, Herbie wanders the premises, and Willow likes to settle in beside the cash register.
In Landrum, cat connoisseurs can visit Toto, Jinx, and Karma at P3 Retail for Rescue Thrift Shop; Sherman, Mavis, and Mittens at The Southern Pet; and Garfield and Luna at The Hay Rack.
A visit to Spartanburg isn’t complete without stopping in to pet Zora at Hub City Books; Alpha and Omega at the Quirky Lotus Spa; or Porkie, Chopie, and CG at The Muck Bucket Feed & Tack.
Being a shop cat is great gig for a cat with heightened social needs, says Tamar Arslanian, cat blogger and author of Shop Cats of New York, in an interview with the New York Post in September.
“There are a lot of rescues that will not adopt out to stores, but the shop cats get all this stimulation from other people,” Arslanian told The Post. “For me, the most eye-opening part of the project was going into it feeling a little bad for them, but then learning they have it better than my own home cats.”
The top qualities of a shop cat, according to P3 owner Kelly Vinesett, are tolerance and non-reactivity. Stephanie Bakanosky, owner at The Southern Pet, says they should be friendly and curious—but she notes that personalities vary even among her own three shop cats: Sherman is mischievous, Mavis is reserved, and Mittens is “a sack of potatoes who just waits for people to come pet her.” (Hurry up, she’s waiting!)
If you’re considering getting a kitty at your own shop or trying to convince your favorite retailer to get one of their own, it’s important to remember one thing, Vinesett says. “Put the cats’ needs first because this is their home, first and foremost. We’re just allowed to work here, and customers are just allowed to visit.”
Find More Feline Friends at These Upstate Shops
- Tux and Gracie at Carolina Ace (Greenville)
- Toby at Meraki Salon & Co. (Greer)
- Marley and Milo at Johnson’s Hardware (Lyman)
- Bubba at Mike’s Bait & Tackle (Inman)
- Miss Kitty at Wilson’s Gas Station (Inman)
- White Girl, Tux, and Calico at Upstate Nursery (Duncan)
- Lou at Sissy’s Boutique (Landrum)
