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‘Monkey’ the Shop Kitty Rules South Street

Monkey the shop cat hangs in the window at Pups 'n Paradise
Monkey the shop cat hangs in the window at Pups 'n Paradise

If you frequent South Street, you’ve seen Monkey.

Monkey is the shop kitty at Pups ‘n Paradise. In bad weather he stays inside and you can often see him in the windows of the dog and cat grooming salon. When it’s nice, though, Monkey sneaks out and patrols the neighborhood. Maybe “patrols” isn’t the right word.

“He rules it,” said Jen Mitchell, owner of the 142 South St. business.

Monkey seems to like everyone, from the dogs Mitchell grooms to the parrots with whom he shares a shop window. He also tends to follow human customers and passersby. A few of them, not understanding Monkey’s free-range lifestyle, have been known to take him to MSPCA/Angell Animal Hospital. When Mitchell can’t find him, her first call is to to Angell.

Monkey the shop cat hangs with his friends the shop parrots at Pups 'n Paradise
Monkey the shop cat hangs with his friends the shop parrots at Pups 'n Paradise

The lanky orange tabby turns three in September. He came into Mitchell’s life when she found him in Hyde Park on a friend’s porch. These days he’s a true “shop cat” who doesn’t go home with Mitchell at the end of the day.

He seems to like his digs. When he gets out, he’s been known to return to Mitchell with a gift of fresh-caught squirrel.

“He’s not your average cat,” Mitchell said.

Meet Monkey at Pups ‘n Paradise, 142 South St.

Jen Mitchell of Pups 'n Paradise on South Street, Feb. 18, 2014.
Jen Mitchell of Pups 'n Paradise on South Street, Feb. 18, 2014.
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