When you visit your local garden center, you may notice a hairy staff member patrolling the grounds or curled up among the trees. These kittens prevent pests from dwelling in warm greenhouses or gnawing on foliage, but they also act as perfect PR Ambassador, interacting with customers.
Here are some we think you’d like to meet.
Moose, The Nursery at Mount Si, North Bend, WA
Moose loves a cozy box bed. Photo courtesy of The Nursery at Mount Si
You can find a sleek gray cat named Moose cuddling in a box or wandering among the flowers Nursery in Mount SI.
As the name indicates, the nursery is located next to the stunning Mount Si. The 4,167-foot peak east of Seattle is part of the Cascade Mountains and is one of the most popular hiking trails in the area.
Kindergarten director Callyn Owen said nursery owner Nels Melgaard was out gardening when some friends said they had a cat that needed a home.
“They sent him home with Moose, and (Moose) has been here ever since,” Owen said.
Moose is a very social cat and can be seen around the grounds or hanging out in the conservatory.
“He loves meeting new people, and this will get you a lot of pets,” she says.
Moose relaxes and waits for customers. Photo courtesy of The Nursery at Mount Si
Moose loves to greet customers.
“You will see someone pull into the parking lot, and he will sit on the checkout counter. And you see someone come in and he gets excited and runs out to their car. I think that’s pretty cute,” Owen said.
Moose spends a lot of time with Owen as she works on a project.
“Usually I get him a little box, and he will come relax and get some pets and just hang out with me,” she said.
Moose “works” at the nursery during the day but enters Melgaard’s house at night.
Owen said: “We have wildlife around here, so the owner wanted to make sure he was inside.
Annabelle, Agnes, Betty and Albert, Oakridge Nursery & Landscaping, Inc. Brandon, SD
Annabelle governs the greenhouse. Photo courtesy of Oakridge Nursery & Landscaping
Four cats are working at Oakridge Arboretum & Landscape in Brandon, South Dakota, and they are all named for the plant.
Annabelle, a dilute trichomes flower, is named after Annabelle Hydrangea. She is the mother of gray and white Agnes, named after Elaeagnus angustifolia (Russian olive tree), and baby Betty named after Betula, a birch tree. Albert is named for the Fat Albert spruce tree.
All cats are free to run back to the property and they can be found outside among the perennials or sleeping hidden inside on a couch.
Enjoying a midday nap. Photo courtesy of Oakridge Nursery & Landscaping
Mary Wiese, leader of the greenhouse team, says they love people.
“They always want to be with you,” she said. “Sometimes they will crawl right over our heads because they want attention.”
Wiese says the cats are great with customers, especially children.
“They are super tolerant,” she said. “They are super sweet and just hang out at the front counter and love to get attention from customers.”
Wiese says the store has different levels and lots of wooden structures that the cats love to explore.
“They climb on those and go over the beams, which is a bit nerve-wracking because we all stand underneath in case they fall,” she said.
In addition to greeting customers, the cats also take care of pests on the property. But that can also have its downside.
“Sometimes we would open the door, and we would check someone from the front counter, and all of a sudden you hear them meow, and you know they caught something,” she said. “And they’ll bring whatever they get up to the front desk while we’re checking in on people and then start playing with it like cats, right in front of customers and we’re like, no.”
Baby Kitty, Gray Barn Nursery, Redmond, WA
Baby Kitty is ready to welcome customers. Photo courtesy of Gray Barn Nursery
At the age of 15, Baby Kitty is a senior employee at Gray Barn Nursery but the orange-furred cat was actually a child when she first arrived.
Assistant Director Lindsey Brown said the brother of the previous owner of Gray Barn brought home the two cats and said they were in the solarium. He warned that the orange was “malicious.” But it turns out they are not cats but tiny kittens.
“So I went into the solarium, and Baby was crouching in the corner, hissing, just scared of her little mind,” Brown said. “I reached out for her and I put her on my shoulder and she just sank into my shoulder.”
“She fit in my hand when she arrived, she was so tiny,” she said. “So that’s why I keep calling her Baby.”
Baby Kitty can get bored without a favorite customer. Photo courtesy of Gray Barn Nursery
Brown said customers love seeing Baby.
“When they came, they said, ‘Where’s the baby? “” she said.
Baby was brought on board as an encourager but she became a “love machine” during her golden years.
“She just wanted to be close. She wants to be kept. She wants to love you, and you love her. She was just a source of entertainment and stress relief and at best,” Brown said.
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