Home Depot Cat Wins Battle To Keep Her Home

A Bluffton, South Carolina Home Depot has had a resident cat for the past 13 years. The little creature was appropriately named Depot, and when news broke that the cat was going to be evicted, the story broke nationally.

The little black cat became the store’s little pet and lived literally in the store. Well, Home Depot management told the store that the little cat had to go. This news didn’t seem to faze some customers, but to others, it was quite the big deal.

One customer, Marisa Page, told WTOC, “I can’t believe they let the cat live here for 13 years. “It is a store and you don’t really want wild animals roaming around”

Another customer, Nancy Bogenrief, said “I think it’s wonderful. Being an animal lover, I’d get rid of management before I’d get rid of the cat.”

The Home Depot employees claimed that the cat had become a part of the store, and even greeted employees at the door when they opened up shop each morning. Home Depot officials said that Depot the cat was starting to become a problem. Her adventurous behavior lead her to continuously set off alarms at night, so it was time the little cat found a new place to call home.

Once news broke about Deopt’s dilemma, a petition on change.org was started. The petition claimed that if Depot couldn’t stay at the South Carolina Home Depot, then she would have to be put in a shelter where she may have been euthanized because of her old age. Many of those who signed the petition said that it would be cruel to remove the cat from her home of 13 years, others even offered to personally adopt Depot. One commenter wrote:

“IF this petition does not achieve the intended and ideal goal of allowing this “non-paid employee” Depot to remain at the store, I will be more than happy to welcome her into my home, a Forever Home, in the Savannah area! She will have her own bedroom and bathroom, if she chooses, and will have 3 cat siblings and one very ‘cat-accomodating’ canine brother. I will personally come pick her up myself-at no expense to the retailer. I would be honored to have her as an addition to our family! My heart would break if I thought this sweet cat were in a shelter. Thank you VERY much for your consideration, and for considering the well-being of Depot by drafting and circulating this petition. I eagerly await a decision as to Depots fate!”

Many are now relieved to find out that because of their overwhelming support for little Depot, management at the South Carolina Home Depot has changed its mind and is going to allow the cat to remain in the store. According to the Charlotte Observer, the change of heart came last Wednesday when Catherine Woodling, a spokesperson for the home-improvement chain announced that Depot could keep her home.

“Unless someone can provide her a better home, she can stay,” Woodling, stated. She continued on to say that they would still like to see the cat go to a more suitable and “healthy” home.

[Image via Shutterstock/Vishnevskiy Vasily]