An office cat named Cashnip Kitty became a local celebrity in Tusla, OK, famous for snatching cash from passers-by.
Originally, this beloved office cat came from the Tulsa Animal Welfare Shelter and was called “Sir Whines a Lot.” Then, the office discovered his unusual talent, tricking humans into giving him cash tips through the big glass door. So, the marketing firm gave the cat a more-fitting name.
Images via Facebook/Cashnip Kitty
At first, they didn’t know why piles of money were on the floor in the mornings. Then, the founder’s dad suggested it might be the cat. Testing out the theory, Cashnip swiped a dollar bill immediately when he slid it through the door crack.
When the office grew quiet at nighttime, the clever cat was most receptive to taking silly humans’ cash tips.
“He lives his own life here, and we are just characters in his life,” said the cat’s human.
Stuart McDaniel via YouTube/FOX23
Over time, his skills developed so much there were piles of money, which the media and marketing firm GuRuStu decided to donate to charity for homeless people.
“He was homeless once, so it seems fitting,” GuRuStu’s founder Stuart McDaniel said.
Image via Facebook/Cashnip Kitty
💵 Cashnip the Kitty’s Game Helps the Homeless 💵
Amusingly, the more passers-by saw the money on the floor, the more they played into Cashnip’s game. It seems they just couldn’t resist trying it themselves, sliding dollar bills into the crack. It was rewarding enough if Cashnip showed them enough interest to swat with feigned interest. However, it generally ended the same, with Cashnip decisively snatching that money to add to the loot pile.
“I’m guessing the first people didn’t intend to lose their dollar,” McDaniel told The Dodo. “They probably put it in to mess with him, and he snatched it. When you hold money there, he’ll bat at it playfully at first, like, ‘Oh, that’s kinda fun.’ But then all of a sudden, he’ll bite it and rip it from your hand. He does it so fast; you don’t even realize what’s happened.”
After a while, the office posted a warning:
“WARNING: CASHnip kitty is a hustler with a philanthropic heart. He will snatch your money! All donations go to the Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless.”
💰 Cashnip Kitty Gets Piles O’ Cash 💰
Despite the warning, the cash piles grew.
“This is almost a game,” explained McDaniel. “It costs a dollar to play. It’s a unique way to raise money for the charity that needs help.”
Screenshot via FOX 23 Tulsa
Kitty Gets His Own Sofa to Match His Eyes
Then, a local business donated a soft golden mini-sofa for the cat to rest on in the window. That’s right; the humans gave this cat his own sofa too!
“So, he now has a sofa that matches his eyes,” McDaniel told News On 6/KOTV. “He can lounge in style instead of sitting on the cold floor.”
However, other pictures seem to show this cat’s eyes match the color of money purrfectly. Coincidence?
Video by News On 6/KOTV:
🍀 A Lucky Cat Who Brings Good Fortune 🍀
This kitty knows how to make cash effortlessly and one business that knows how to market his abilities! Soon, Cashnip became a fixture in the downtown East Village as the “Third Street Kitty.”
“It’s crazy…exciting, and funny, and it’s just our little office cat,” said McDaniel.
On the sign, they showed a golden Maneki Neko, a lucky cat from Japan said to bring good fortune.
“Catnip Kitty says, “Slide a dollar through the slot, and great blessings will follow.”
Image via Instagram
Like a feline Wishing Well, give your bill to the friendly kitty, and you receive some good karma as you help the homeless? As News of Cashnip spread, people came from all over to see the famous Tulsa cat. Soon, the cat had his own social media and appeared on sites like Bored Panda and The Dodo and the local news.
Screenshot via FOX 23 Tulsa
When Cashnip Kitty’s story went international, he received bigger donations, and people donated directly to the homeless in the cat’s honor. Finally, the famous kitty began receiving cards and donations from all over the world. On Facebook, the cat’s social media is mostly pictures of cards stuffed with cash now, a real cash c̶o̶w̶ cat. Amazingly, this cat gets holiday cards from all over the globe, a real phenomenon.
Meanwhile, McDaniel won a community awareness award.
“McDaniel’s feline has retrieved thousand of dollars of cash donations from GuRuStu’s door with his paws,” noted Tulsa People.
Image via Facebook/Cashnip Kitty
So, it appears that Cashnip Kitty did bring plenty of good fortune for the homeless while creating lots of fun and publicity for the office. You just never know much your life may change when you rescue a cat.
Over time, Cashnip would frequently turn up his nose to the humans waving money at him from the door. Clearly, this clever kitty knows that intermittent random rewards work best for training humans.
Below, Cashnip Kittys scoffs at people trying to offer yet more green stuff.
“We went to visit Cashnipkitty a week and a half ago on a chilly Saturday, but he wasn’t too interested in grabbing the cash,” said one visitor on Instagram. “Instead he walked all over the desks in the office, demonstrating his control over his domain.”
Featured image: Instagram: catparton_ok and photo by Danny Fritsche
