Who was Schwartzy? Those of you that have been shopping with us for a long time know him very well, but if you are newer to us…Well, he was quite simply the best cat to ever live.
Nine years ago, Amanda Wilbourne met with some friends who worked at the Humane Society and they told her she needed a shop cat. They told her about the most beautiful, green-eyed, black cat.
He was a special needs senior who disliked other cats and needed some medical care. She adopted him to be Nautical Dog’s first shop cat and he lived next door in their first location.
Schwartzy won everyone over very quickly and would spend his days sitting behind the counter on a stool greeting guests, judging them, and talking a lot. Amanda had Schwartzy for 5 years-not nearly enough, even though forever still wouldn’t be enough time with him.
He passed away three weeks before we moved into our current location. We often joke that he just didn’t want to leave his home. Because of that, when we found out our old space was going to be up for rent soon, we knew we had to expand back into it. Schwartzy’s door is still there with a cutout to go to the old office!
So, what exactly are we doing with that new space? It’s a dedication to Schwartzy and it has been named “Schwartzy’s Cat Cove- Nautical Dog’s First Mate.” In the Cove, you will be able to sit down with and hang out with cats from Heritage Humane Society and if you fall in love, you can adopt them too.
We hope to bring awareness to special needs cats, and you will often see special needs cats in Schwartzy’s Cove.
The reality is, special needs cats are purr-fect too. Schwartzy was the one cat that nobody wanted. He was at the shelter for far too long. Ironically, he ended up being the cat that everyone wanted.
Next time you are searching for the perfect animal, remember: they are ALL perfect.
