Jobs for Cats: Nine Positions That Our Feline Friends Have Held
Michelle Milliken
We’re all familiar with the concept of dogs that work, from herders to search and rescue pups to killer whale watchers? Canines aren’t the only domestic pets that work a 9 to 5, though. Cats do, too, and here are some of the positions they’re proud to fill.
Emotional Support Animal
Much like dogs, cats can provide comfort and soothe anxiety in their humans, as emotional support animals. They’re well-equipped to tackle this role. Research has shown that being around cats can reduce stress and lessen the impacts of social isolation. It may even help reduce visits to the doctor for older people, which can certainly ease anxiety!
Therapy Animal
Due to their stress reduction capabilities and generally fuzzy wuzziness, cats are also great as therapy animals. Felines with a calm demeanor who are comfortable around people are good candidates for the job. Therapy animals can provide cheer to people in hospital settings, nursing homes, schools, and even airports. The therapy animal group at Denver Airport includes a cat! CATS: The Canine Airport Therapy Squad, features a feline named Xeli, whose favorite activity is “making friends.”
Low Pay Pest Eradicator
Nature’s pint-sized perfect hunters have historically been used for one main purpose: pest eradication. Beginning on ships thousands of years ago to warehouses and barns today, cats have always done a good job keeping mice and rats out of food stores and other products for their “bosses.” They serve as a natural pesticide, allowing people to minimize chemical use. They’re willing to take on the job for nothing more than some treats, or possibly pets, if they’re on the friendlier side. These days, the pest eradicators are also useful in bodegas, where they’ve earned the affection of the owners and the interest of customers.
Office Cat
Bodegas aren’t the only workplaces with some feline friends. You may find office cats that are less about pests and more about pets in a variety of industries. One of the more common fields is in veterinarian clinics, but the tech industry is often known for its pet-friendly offices, as well. The inclusion of cats in the workplace is apt to be appreciated by other employees, too. Research has shown that most American pet owners think having animals in the workplace would diffuse stressful situations and improve socialization among employees.
Keeper of Historical Sites
The cat is out of the bag! The newest member of the team, Jock VII, has arrived as we continue the legacy began by Winston Churchill to have a marmalade #cat in comfortable residence at Chartwell. Find out more here >https://t.co/f8Jl5E7E9h #CatsofTwitter #NationalTrustCats pic.twitter.com/0excVaAOyf
— ChartwellNT (@ChartwellNT) July 3, 2020
One person familiar with stressful situations in the workplace was former UK prime minister Winston Churchill. Churchill was quite fond of cats, and one of his favorites was an orange cat named Jock. After he passed away, his family agreed to let the National Trust take over his home, Chartwell, provided there was always a “marmalade cat” with socks and a bib named Jock on site to patrol the grounds. Nearly 60 years later, we’re on the seventh iteration of Jock, who took on the role as a kitten in 2020.
Member of UK Prime Minister’s Cabinet
Felines are apparently common in UK governmental operations, because the next cat also holds a role there. Larry the Cat, a 16-year-old tabby, has served as Chief Mouser of No. 10 Downing Street, the home of the prime minister, since 2011. He came to the role after being rescued from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home. He’s out-served multiple PMs at this point, providing the sort of steady presence one needs in its public servants.
A UK government site explains his day-to-day workload, saying, “Larry spends his days greeting guests to the house, inspecting security defences and testing antique furniture for napping quality. His day-to-day responsibilities also include contemplating a solution to the mouse occupancy of the house. Larry says this is still ‘in tactical planning stage’.”
My pal @PoliticalPics took this picture of someone taking a picture of me. Not my good side. pic.twitter.com/lQx0JgCij4
— Larry the Cat (@Number10cat) June 28, 2024
As you can see above, Larry is so popular that he has a fake Twitter account in his name.
Mayor
The UK government isn’t the only one held up on the shoulders of cats, so is Alaska’s. A cat named Stubbs served as honorary mayor of Talkeetna, Alaska, for an impressive 20 years. We’ll let term limits slide here. The tan tabby first took on the role as a write-in winner in 1997. There were some attack ads, one in particular from a dog that injured him in 2013. He healed up, though, ultimately passing away in 2017. He had been hard at work before taking a step back at age 18, when he was in the cat equivalent of his 80s.
University Student
It’s not unheard of for cats to be fans of higher education. Many college campuses have had some resident or guest felines known to roam around among the students. One of the more recent stories to this effect involves an education enthusiast finally getting appropriate recognition. Earlier this year, Vermont State University gifted Max the cat, who is actually owned by people who live near their campus, an honorary degree for his commitment to the school and its students.
A social media post says, "With a resounding purr of approval from the faculty, the Board of Trustees of the Vermont State Cat-leges has bestowed upon Max Dow the prestigious title of Doctor of Litter-ature, complete with all the catnip perks, scratching post privileges, and litter box responsibilities that come with it."
Crossing Guard
Another cat known to help students was Sable the cat. The traffic safety enthusiast worked morning and evening each day to ensure kids at Enterprise Middle School in West Richland, Washington, walked to and from school safely. School officials say he never missed a shift, despite being 15, a veritable senior in cat years. The weather never deterred him, either, and this dedication earned him his own crossing guard orange vest. You can see more of his story in the YouTube link below.
