For most of us who love cats, we fancy ourselves a good book, too. They say that preferring cats is a sign of intelligence. And what better way to get our thinking caps on than with a good book. At Otis & Clementine’s Books and Coffee in Upper Tantallon, Nova Scotia, they might be onto something to entice cat lovers into their establishment. After all, who can resist kittens—especially adoptable kittens!
Kittens are cat lover kryptonite. And they are even irresistible for those who aren’t diehard cat lovers.
“I thought it would be a fun thing to do and I thought people would enjoy it, but it’s turned out to be so popular,” she told CBC Canada news channel. “They run the place,” says owner and operator, Ellen Helmke.
So, aside from knowing that kittens are enough to easily lure patrons, these kittens are here for a good cause. Ellen fosters cats and kittens through her local SPCA, and figured maybe this would help some of them to get adopted.
It seems that these clever kittens know exactly just what to do, too. They continuously keep book lovers entertained with their adorable antics and kitten charm. People have started flocking to Otis’ just for a chance to hang with the cats.
“They jump on piles of books, they hang out on the albums, they sit on people’s laps, curl up on their shoulder.”
About the cool kitten hangout as told on their Facebook page:
After spending half her life in Chicago and half in Nova Scotia, Ellen founded Otis books in 2011. Many people are saying that it’s the best used bookstore they’ve ever visited.
In 2014, she actually started using her BA in Spanish Literature from the University of Colorado (which she never thought she’d use again after coming to Nova Scotia in 1998). Ellen partners with Dulce Dardon, MSc. of Cuernavaca MX, to develop a series of beginner Spanish lessons at the bookstore several nights a week.
Now that Ellen’s daughter is in high school, she helps deliver children’s programs such as writing club, kids book club, girls book club, and teen book club.
We do open mic nights on the third Saturday of the month 5-8. Ellen plans to launch a structured writing program soon… stay tuned.
(In case anyone is curious, the litter and food is kept securely in the backroom of the store.)
As we know, online giants like Amazon are quickly changing the game for brick-and-mortar stores. And this is especially true for those independently owned businesses. Ellen is thankful that her purrfect idea has helped to not only boost her business, but also helped to find forever homes for cats in need.
“The used book business is a pretty tough business on a good day. So I’m thrilled that people like it, and people are coming to the store.”
Want to keep up with all this adoptable kitten cuteness on social media? You can find this purrfect bookstore here on Facebook.
All Images Courtesy of Otis & Clementine’s Books and Coffee
Want to read about two bonded bookstore cats named Huck and Finn? Check out these two cuties here on ColeandMarmalade.com.
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