BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — What’s black, white and can be read all over? Wait, more like black, white and living somewhere surrounded by books?
Here’s a hint: he’s got four legs and used to be a she.
Meet Elliot, the resident cat at Bookhounds in downtown Bakersfield.
“He was previously known as Eleanor,” said Evelyn Martinez, Bookhounds’ manager.
“We thought he was a girl for the longest, and then late last year, the vet broke the news to us that she was actually a boy.”
Elliot is believed to be around seven-years-old and may just be the shop’s most popular “employee.”
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“A lot of the customers know him. They come in, see him, ‘Oh, hi, Elliot,’” Martinez said.
While Elliot gets plenty of attention from visitors, the staff say he has his favorites, too often choosing which employee to spend time with. One feeds him, and one cuddles him. It’s a tough choice.
His “salary” is food, shelter and plenty of love.
When he’s not roaming the aisles or keeping an eye on the checkout counter, Elliot can usually be found curled up in one of several cozy beds tucked away in the office. And like any good coworker, he knows when it’s time to take a break.
“More than anything, it’s just listening to his cues and respecting his space,” Martinez said.
But when he is in the mood to socialize, Elliot’s personality shines.
“He’s a goofball. He’s very serious,” Martinez said with a laugh. “Sometimes he’ll stalk around, really moody, and then other times, before we know it, he’s just zooming through. He just has the zoomies.”
You can find Elliot keeping watch over the shelves, alongside a wide selection of used books, vinyl records, CDs and more at Bookhounds in downtown Bakersfield.
Something tells us he knows all the purr-fect picks.
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