There have been various stories about “working cats” in the work environment including corner shops, book shops and in this instance a public house in the UK.
I’ve read many of them and there’s a distinct thread running through them: the vast majority of people like to see cats in shops and public houses or indeed the work environment.
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And that sentiment is being played out in a Birmingham pub where the regular customers are “heartbroken” by an order of upper management to evict a couple of domestic cats who are also regulars of this public house because as I understand it, of a single complaint.
The regular customers love them there. They are part and parcel of this pub. Their names are Malt and Hops and the pub is The Wellington. The cats have been in the pub for five years.
One staff member who remains anonymous said that the presence of the cats had improved their health. They said that “The cats really helped bring me out of a bad patch.” Comment: this would be very typical of domestic cats. You’ll find thousands of stores on the Internet of cat owners saying that their cats have helped them through difficult times. The same goes for dogs.
And the presence of domestic cats in a place like a public house adds a bit of soul to the establishment. They make the place emotionally warmer. They add character to a place. They probably bring in customers and therefore they probably add to the income of this public house.
The excuse invariably given for the eviction of cats from places like this public house is health reasons. But this pub does not make fresh food. They sell prepackaged food. There are no health problems. In any case if they did sell cooked food there would be no health problems in my view. It’s a misconception that the presence of cats spread disease through human food.
Another worker said that it makes sense to keep the cats at the pub for business purposes. It’s a business decision to keep them there. They are unique to this pub. “They’re an institution in their own right and they deserve to keep the home they’ve always known.”
The staff at the pub invited customers to leave reviews and one customer, Hannah, said “The best part of the week is when we get to see Malt and Hops’ adorable faces after a long day!” And James added, “The cats are an important part of this amazing boozer. I’m there at least 2-3 times a week for the past 10-ish years. If you evict the cats, I will NOT return.”
The pub said that they would do everything they can to save their two resident cats from eviction by senior management. A petition has been started by the staff at The Wellington.
Petition to prevent cat-astrophe at Wellington pub reaches huge target in bid to save felines. “A petition to stop two cats – adored by punters – from being barred at a city pub has reached more than 3,000 signatures in under 48 hours.” – Birmingham Live.
Latest news on this (27th July 2024): “A brewery has confirmed two cats which have resided at a pub in Birmingham for five years will be permanently rehomed, despite a public outcry.” – BBC.
