Hi, it’s Ellen! Sorry about the late post. I had four events – three events in one weekend – to shill for, I mean celebrate the launch of A Very Woodsy Murder, my first Golden Motel Mystery. Two out of the three were policed by those of a furry persuasion: bookstore cats.
I don’t know why I haven’t paid attention to this phenomenon before. There’s a whole thread for this “genre” of store pet on Instagram. (Click here when you’re looking for a new way to procrastinate.) I mean, I’ve noticed them but then never really registered until this particular week. I think it was because my launch was at Once Upon a Time Bookstore in Montrose, CA, which is the oldest children’s bookstore in the country. The shop’s cat Pippi is so popular they threw her a birthday party and kids wrote stories about what they thought Pippen did at night when everyone left the store and she had the place all to herself. Pippi even has her own book selections page:
As the perpetual parent of dogs, not cats, I can guarantee if any of our four-legged children spent a night alone anywhere, the howling would be heard transcontinentally. But these cats seem fine. In fact, they clearly run the place wherever they are. Pippi’s expression in the closeup of the picture below calls back to the old cliche, it’s Pippi’s world, we just live in it:
I didn’t catch the name of the cat deigning to grace us with his/her presence at The Book Jewel, the bookstore in Westchester, CA that hosted Noir at the Bar Saturday night, where I got to read from my very un-noirish book. This kitty was a little wary of the crowd:
I greatly admire these feline friends of the written word. They add a warmth to their book homes and are clearly beloved by each store’s crew and patrons.
Now, if they just actually bought books…
Readers, is there a bookstore cat in your local bookstore?
No cat but they now have a dog, at least for the moment. It’s a Saint Bernard puppy so not sure how she’ll do once she reaches full size….but super cute!
Wow! I hope that’s a really big bookstore!
quite small actually. That’s why I wonder how she’ll fit before long.
Those book store cats know the comfiest books
They do!
Love bookstore greeters of the feline persuasion! Don’t think I’d mess with that large boned gray-and-white kitty in your launch photo: YOU WILL buy a copy of A Very Woodsy Murder. No, TWO copies! They always know the assignment.
Ha! Pippi was intense – at least in this pic!
I, too, am more a dog than a cat person, but I get that having a dog in a bookstore might not be the best idea. Not mine, in any case: Ziggy would bark at newcomers to the store and chase the resident cats.
Same with Cammie!
As someone with allergies to cats, I do tend to be a little wary of these bookstore cats. But I was fine Tuesday night.
Thank you again for coming. I didn’t know you’re allergic to cats. You’re a trooper!
Same, Mark. I can’t browse for long!
One of the bookstores here in Indy used to have a gorgeous cat named Violet who ran the store. To be honest, though, I’m not a big fan of the practice because lots of folks are allergic to kitties. Still, they add a lot of charm to the scene. 😺
J.C., read Mark’s comment right above yours! #nailonthehead!
It’s great reading about fictional bookstore cats, but I also like meeting them in person! The ones that first caught my attention were at The Iliad Bookshop in North Hollywood. Zeus and Apollo are currently there, but there’s a whole page dedicated to current and past cats: https://www.iliadbooks.com/pet-gallery/
Jen, that bookstore is super close to me! I haven’t been in forever. You’ve motivated me to pay another visit soon.
My local indie – Kew & Willow in Kew Gardens, NY – only has a knit bookshop cat (no, I didn’t knit it), I wish I could meet a live bookshop cat. There was a yarn store in Manhattan I used to frequent many years ago with shop cats. You’d be pawing through yarns piled on tables & come across an especially soft one that would turn out to be a cat!
Judith I love that storyabout the yarn turning out to be a cat! And I want a knit bear.
I’ll add that to my knitting list!
Paiges is the name of the cat at The Book Jewel. She’s a she. I am definitely a cat person.
Sybil, thanks for giving Paiges her name. She’s a sweetie!
She is, indeed. When I first heard the name I thought it was Pages. Then I saw it written out. Since she’s a girl they added the “i”.
Aw, sweet kitty. <3 I haven’t spied any felines (outside the pages) of our local bookshops, but I’m ready to explore those that do!
No cats at Mystery Lovers. In fact, I haven’t seen a cat at any of the Pittsburgh bookstores I’ve been at.
Of course, they could have been hiding. They are cats.