Kilgore Trout, the cutest part of the team at Pages bookstore in Kensington, Calgary, Alberta. (Photo by Jenna Willox)
What’s better than finding a local bookstore, walking in and smelling the freshly printed pages and browsing at the covers to your heart’s content? Doesn't get much better, right? Until you encounter a fluffy little cat roaming next to the book-packed shelves.
That’s exactly what you’ll find at Pages bookstore in Calgary’s trendy neighborhood of Kensington.
“It really just made my day to walk into the bookstore and be greeted by the handsome little fella." said customer Starr Johnson recounting her recent visit.
Kilgore Trout, or Trout for short, is becoming Kensington's newest novelty after the cat found himself a home in the cozy bookstore. A quick look of the stores Google reviews will show the cat is well loved among customers, being described as an “automatic bonus” by customer Fallon Hewitt.
With cat beds and toys scattered throughout the store and a private, decorated little nook, Trout holds down the fort down 24-7 at Pages and appears to be living a life of feline luxury.
"The Cat Who Went to Sea" a book inside of Kilgore Trout's decorated and enclosed nook at Pages bookstore in Kensington, Calgary, Alberta. (Photo by Jenna Willox)
"I’m inclined to visit Pages every time I need a new book now, just to see Kilgore Trout." she said.
Trout’s main caretaker, Jacob Bews, who works at Pages, said the cat was picked up by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) after being down on his luck. A bookstore kitten was already being considered amongst the staff, and once they saw Kilgore Trout, it was pretty much love at first meow, and he is now living one of his nine lives contently as their bookstore kitty.
According to a study done by The National Library of Medicine, working with a facility dog decreases burnout, reduces stress levels, lessens depression and increases positive emotion. The staff at Pages can vouch for similar results with their beloved Trout as a part of the team. Bews claimed it has increased morale amongst staff.
“I mainly come to work for him.” Aside from the unconditional love of a pet, Bews described Trout's presence as feisty and playful.
“I definitely have a lot more war wounds since he’s been around, we like to scrap a little," he said.
"He also leaves his magazines just laying around which is a bit of an issue. We have to remind him to refrain from showing playful aggression with the customers."
The next time you’re in the neighbourhood, or in the market for some books and you visit Pages it is likely you will leave with a smile after meeting their cutest and laziest employee, Kilgore Trout.
Kilgore Trout, the cutest part of the team at Pages bookstore in Kensington, Calgary, Alberta with his main caretaker and Pages employee Jacob Bews. (Photo by Jenna Willox)
