Music

Record store fights to keep beloved deaf cat

by Richard Howard

We can pretend it’s a productivity tool and communication facilitator all we want, but the truth is 90% of the internet consist of two things: porno and kitties. While we rarely write about the former (OK, sometimes when it’s hilarious), we’re suckers for a cute kitty story just like everyone else.

So we’re loving the story of Callaway, a 15-year-old cat that recently caused a furor in Tauranga, New Zealand. The NZ Herald reports that Callaway has made Vinyl Destination, a local record store and cafe, his home – never mind the fact that he can’t quite take in the jams, being completely deaf.

Although most visitors love his presence, one Kiwi Killjoy charged that it was “disgusting” to have a cat in a “place that sells food” and went so far to call the city council and lodge a complaint. What began as a few locals supporting Callaway’s right to chill in his favourite spot became a viral sensation with over 70,000 views.

Turns out, all’s well that ends well – on discovering Vinyl Destination provides customers with nothing more than takeaway coffee, the council gave Callaway the all-clear to continue supporting the store owners’ terrible cat puns in exchange for a lifetime supply of kibbles.

[h/t The New Zealand Herald]