A Four Legged Find at the Discount Store

Everyone loves a bargain when they are shopping. I have been frequenting the local discount store just minutes from my home for years now. This large two level store conveniently located in downtown Albany, N.Y. offers quite an array of items from cleaning & household products, cosmetics, jewelry & hair care, a modest clothing section, accessories to odds n ends; even furniture & carpeting on the second floor. It is a practical one stop shop with just about everything you will ever need under one roof; a definite bang for your bank type of deal. I always find what I need along with neat surprises as the store is always updating with new items.

In 2010 I made the best discovery ever. It was my day off work and I took my youngest daughter into the discount store for some household shopping. I remember putting around the storefront after gathering what I needed, just browsing to see if any new stock came in that caught my eye. I was walking towards the register to pay for my belongings when something I spotted from my peripheral vision forced me to stop, freezing in my tracks. I shook my head in dismay not trusting my own eyes then backed up a few paces to confirm my sighting. To my right in a bin of women’s loose panties lay a perfectly fluffy grey and white cat napping.

I began to laugh uncontrollably and this, my friends, is how my story of Max begins…

Once I was able to regain my composure I went to up to one of the clerks working on register. The owner and employees were familiar with my family since we had been shopping with them for years so I was extremely comfortable talking to everyone. As much as I tried to hold my laughter in, I simply could not control myself thinking about the next poor soul to dip into the panty bin for surely the furry cat would shed mounds of hair on the unpackaged loose undies in the basket. I held my side as it ached from my fits of hilarity and wiped away the tears of my hysterics to let the clerk know about the cat lounging about in the store knickers.

“Oh, yes, that is Max he responded joining in on the contagious laughter. “He is our newest employee in training.”

I managed to once again regain my composure and inquired for more details regarding Max. As many times as I had visited the discount store, this was my first encounter with him. I just had to learn more about this four legged guy and why he was in the store in the first place.

The discount store, located in an older building in the city, was in close proximity to a restaurant. The employees were finding mouse turds which are not an uncommon occurrence and decided to bring in their cat from home to try to keep the mice at bay. Max was a kitten at the time but it was clear that he would one day be a larger cat by his paws which at the time appeared too big for his body. They figured that his presence would deter the mice from scurrying about and that he would start catching them aiding in population reduction. Finding droppings in the store was quite the nuisance not to mention unsightly and the owners did not want their neatly kept establishment littered with these pests.

In the beginning, I did not see Max too often whenever I visited my favorite bargain store. Although he was on the loftier side, he was still under a year old and a growing kitten so he hovered close to his food and litter box out of comfort in a back office area. With so many possible hiding spots in the store one could only guess where he might be resting but I can tell you that on multiple occasions when I did see him he was right back in the panty bin. It was obvious that he sought out the security of soft and silken fabric so I learned to look for him there on my future shopping trips.

As Max got older, it became apparent to me that he was a mixed breed cat. His tufted mane resembling a lion and his snow shoe paws indicated that he could possibly be part Maine Coon. Maine Coon’s were always a part of my children’s grandparents household and my familiarity with them recognized the signature traits in Max. As time went by, he got even bigger, fluffier and the distinct tri layers of his coat along with his yellow & green oblique eyes convinced me that my original hunch was correct.

As for his job description, Max had other ideas regarding pest duty. The owner told me that Max liked to eat and loved cat nip & sleeping but hunting for mice did not appear to be on his “to do” list. Maine Coon’s are known for being great hunters leaving the annoying mice without a fighting chance but not this guy. If he saw a mouse he simply ignored it. Despite his lack of motivation, he was kept on as a valued employee who in reality actually did nothing whatsoever all day long.

Gradually with a little time and surely some adjustment to his surroundings, Max began making a regular public appearance on the sales floor. He also became somewhat of a store fixture as he is extremely affectionate despite being somewhat skittish. Plastic shopping bags rustling from customers checking out startled him sending him dashing for refuge and thunderstorms terrified him to belly crawl as if he were a soldier in a minefield seeking cover. His human encounters were quite endearing though. He loved to follow shoppers around the store never resisting a deep tissue scratch under his chin, and if he were feeling especially energetic, one may be fortunate enough to hear his equivalent of talking. Not exactly a “meow” per say but his own version of communicating satisfaction. The sound is called a trill; a trademark Maine Coon vocal.

Over the next few years, Max’s growth continued along with his popularity. During this time period I adopted a female calico cat we named Alice from the store owner’s litter of kittens born in their home out in the country. I still visited the discount store at least once a week for my shopping needs and sometimes even more popping in just to find my four legged furry friend. He had flourished into such a majestic gentle giant winning the hearts of many curious shoppers.

Although he did not turn out to be a hunter, his dominating physique was enough to keep the mouse problem at bay. He did; however, seem to take on another role earning my nickname “store detective.” He loved to follow customers around and most folks were pleasantly taken with his size and calm demeanor. Others were less impressed finding him annoying even fearful of his size and would try to shoo him away. I personally recall a situation where a suspicious customer was lurking around and Max’s persistent follow caused them to become aggravated and verbally abusive. This particular character had stolen from the store before and been banned from returning. Max’s natural feline instincts saved the store from another theft making the perp uncomfortable enough to expose himself. The commotion from his yelling and cursing got the attention of the owner who in turn escorted the customer right to the front door reminding him never to return to his business establishment.

After five years of service doing practically nothing and doing it well, the day came when the discount store owner approached me about adopting Max. As much as the store team loved him, they felt that keeping him restricted within store boundaries was not in his best interest preventing him from flourishing. Max’s growth exceeded all expectations and his budding personality alerted everyone that he needed to move beyond the discount store doors in order to live his life to its fullest potential... Over the years I had built great rapport with the owner and his associates. This in addition to the fact that I already had adopted another cat from them made my family their primary choice to be Max’s forever home.

The joyous day arrived and on October 20, 2015 my children and I lovingly welcomed Max into our hearts and home forever.

I am happy to announce that Max’s readjustment to his new environment was easier for him than I thought it would be. I did not anticipate, however, my female cat Alice’s reaction. She was not excited to have a roommate which is normal since she was an only child for a couple of years but I thought she would be excited for a four legged pal. I was wrong! Her dominant personality made it clear to Max who was in charge. I will admit she is quite spoiled and an attention hog with a “my way or the highway” attitude. During the early weeks she spent most of her time observing him from a distance growling as a warning not to mess with her. Poor Max only wanted to be acquainted but every time he attempted closing the gap between them with an innocent nuzzle, she would pop him in the head with her agile reflexive paw.

Fortunately the rotten attitude from little miss calico faded and she came around. Before long the two cats were cuddling, grooming each other, eating together and chasing after one another on sporadic 3 am jaunts back and forth throughout the house. The pair became great pals reciprocating the kind of attention that only four legs could offer. Watching Max and Alice run, climb & jump together made me realize that they were not only the best additions to our family but the perfect therapy that the other desperately needed. In my heart I knew that no matter how much love and attention we gave these two individually, they needed the company of another feline; each other, in order to completely thrive as vivacious cats.

Flash forward to today: Max is in his twelfth year and a very happy and healthy cat. His time in our home has drawn out even more of an intriguing personality. He is a bit of goofball who certainly gets into some interesting predicaments. One of my favorite moments involves him and my slippers. I woke up one early morning to a clomping sound heading towards my kitchen. I sat and listened for a moment thinking it might be one of my kids but the sound was off. I jumped out of bed to investigate and found my 17 pound roly-poly mischief with his front left foot in one of slippers. It was a grey boot like type style and he was just trudging along presumably to his food bowl without a care in the world. He did not flinch, cry for help or struggle to release his foot. In fact, when I took it off he just looked up at me blinked and went on about his business to his cat chow.

I leave you now with some of my favorite photos of Max, my surprising four legged discount store find. Of course, I am including a couple of pictures including Alice, our calico diva displaying their extraordinary bond. For those of you who are wondering, yes, Max still likes relaxing in a pile of panties which sometimes makes laundry day a challenge when it’s time to fold. I would not have it any other way as it is a continuous reminder to the comical way that we met.