‘[He] doesn't do anything but buy the cat food': Boss mistreats his “pet” cat, so his employees come together to take care of the cute kitty and save it from a life of neglect

Author image for Blake Seidel
Blake Seidel • Managing Editor & Brand Manager
Nov 28, 2025 12:00 PM EST

We were shocked to learn that not everyone treats their cats like royalty. What do you mean you don't cater to your cat's every whim and desire? What do you mean you don't change up their treats every few days so they don't get bored with the same ones? Does that mean that you also don't have certain meowsical playlists for them depending on their mood? Some people actually treat them like pets, and some, even worse. 

The life of a bodega cat isn't always glamorous, but it works for some of them. If the owner takes care of them, gives them a litter box and plenty of food, some of them don't mind. But not every bodega cat lives a purrfectly fulfilling life. Some shop owners treat them like mascots, there to pull people into their shop with their feline charm, but the cats don't get anything in return. Lucky for the cute kitty below, the boss's employees have been cleaning up after the bodega kitty, telling his "owner" when he's sick, and caring for him as he should be.

But they've had enough. They're sick of seeing this boss neglect the cat that makes his store feel homey, who is being used like a prop and not treated like a beloved pet, and they're considering helping the cat "escape". Cats escape all the time, right? It wouldn't be so meowtrageous to come in one day, and the cat is no longer there… wink wink.

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  • 01

    My boss has a cat in shop he doesnt take care of. We the employees want the cat rehomed

    Cat in a bodega
    via InstaWalli from Pexels

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02
    Hello everyone. Im in need of advice. I work at a small mom and pop retail shop, my boss has a cat here that he doesn't properly take care of and the employees are constantly making sure he's fed, clean his messes/liter box and have to
    via Artistic-Cod7701
  • 03
    report to our boss when he's not well. My boss literally doesnt do anything but buy the cat food. For the past two weeks, we have been hosting workshops in our workspace, thats where the cats liter box is, the cat is now
    via Artistic-Cod7701
  • 04
    pooping outside his liter box, Im pregnant so I literally have to wait until someone comes in to clean his mess. Ontop of that, when we close for the evening at 5pm (sometimes earlier), the cat he here alone for hours until someone comes in at 9am. We
    via Artistic-Cod7701

  • Being outside for extended periods of time is unsafe for any cat, but if the cat stays in the bodega, we're not sure we 100% agree with this purrson. Sure, the cat could live a much more luxurious life inside someone's home, but we think we're far from saying that this cat is “suffering”. You're welcome to disagree, but we've seen cats who are suffering, and their stories are very different from this one.

  • 05
    constantly suggest him rehoming him, but my boss. wants to keep him because he attracts customers, like a prop. Its frustrating, unsanitary and just not a safe place for a cat. Im not sure what to do. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
    via Artistic-Cod7701
  • 06
    Shambles196 · 17h ago Quietly, secretly re-home the poor cat. If the boss notices.... "Oh NO! Mr. Sparkles got out and ran away! Hope he's going to be okay!"
    via Shambles196
  • 07
    • MasterNinjaThemeSong 17h ago I don't think this falls into the legal definition of animal neglect (my opinion, I could be wrong), so I don't think there is anything you can do about his ownership of the cat. This seems more like a workplace issue that could involve OSHA and if there is any food being sold, it would be a huge sanitation issue.
    via MasterNinjaThemeSong
  • 08
    Cat and litter box
    via pixelshot

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 09
    Also seems like a pretty crappy boss to work for (no pun intended).
    via MasterNinjaThemeSong
  • 10
    Darthmotheus • 15h ago 20ish years ago, i worked for a company who had a cat in the warehouse going through the same thing. Boss wanted him there to keep mice out but didn't take care of him. We the employees used to feed and play with him until 1 day he just wasn't there. Boss was pissed, but we all knew the cat "got out" and made his way magically to the head of IT's house. No one said a word.
    via Darthmotheus
  • 11
    z-eldapin 16h ago Oops. Cat got out. What?? She landed at a good home? I have no idea how that happened.
    via z-eldapin

  • All that being said, if someone wants to take this cat home and make it a purrmanent indoor cat, we wouldn't be mad. Having a soft bed to nap on is certainly better (and more sanitary) than napping on expired bags of chips. Just saying.

  • 12
    Pixichixi 16h ago I mean, you really can't force your boss to rehome the cat. Depending on the type of shop, or if the cat is vaccinated, you could check your local ordinances to see if any regulations are being violated and report them but that may just lead to fines. You would be better off trying to get your boss to adjust the specific issues.
    via Pixichixi
  • 13
    Obviously, the cat should be vetted and vaccinated. The litter box is also an issue. If you approach it as something better for the business and customers to have the cat confirmed healthy and to have an out-of-the-way and maintained litter space you will probably have a better chance of getting somewhere.
    via Pixichixi
  • 14
    If the cat brings in customers, remind him that those same customers will have an issue if the space smells, the cat seems unkempt, or they suspect the cat is ill-cared-for. Don't straight out say that, just start with something like how the litter box
    via Pixichixi
  • 15
    People photographing a cat on the street
    via Fatih Güney from Pexels

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 16
    is an issue and you think you heard xx customer mention the smell immediately followed by "which I think would be better if we had it in a different place that didn't scare kitty with strangers."
    via Pixichixi
  • 17
    As long as the cat has shelter, food, water, and clean litter, he's likely fine alone overnight. Most working cats like shop cats are alone overnight. Not all cats can handle it but many are fine and if you've seen no indication of anxiety from this cat up until now, aside from the recent litter box invasion, it's fine
    via Pixichixi
  • 18
    Secure-Corner-2096 15h ago . Oops, boss, the cat got out as I was leaving. Don't tell him the cat got out into your car, was taken to the vets for a medical and all shots and then ended up at a perfect new home. If the animal is suffering, do the right thing. They cannot protect themselves, so we have to step in to protect helpless cats.
    via Secure-Corner-2096
  • 19
    cathbe 14h ago • Does your boss not care if the litter box goes uncleaned for months? Does your boss consider taking care of the cat part of your jobs? Maybe someone has to have a frank discussion about it. When cat is
    via cathbe
  • 20
    alone, are there windows or anything to look out on? Does he have toys? I guess if he has company all throughout the day it's not the worst thing. I do think someone needs to find out if he considers it part of your jobs which he is the boss so I guess he could determine or if you
    via cathbe
  • 21
    don't do anything, will your boss feed the cat and clean the litter? You don't want the cat to have bad conditions but when rehoming has been discussed, have these topics come up?
    via cathbe
  • 22
    ship_toaster . 12h ago You work with a bodega cat. Your employer seems to have made it part of your job descriptions to care for the cat, whether officially or unofficially. That could be a labour dispute, but it's not neglect; the cat is fed, his
    via ship_toaster
  • 23
    messes are cleaned up, he gets medical attention. He also undoubtedly gets a lot of interaction both from employees and customers. You haven't mentioned this being a problem for him, which I'm guessing means he enjoys it.
    via ship_toaster
  • 24
    Many cats, just like dogs, are 'employed' to do specific jobs. For dogs, that can vary from sheep herding to monitoring their partners' blood sugars. For cats, it's almost always pest control. During the day, when the lights are on, there's lots of noise, and
    via ship_toaster
  • 25
    feet stomping everywhere, he's relaxing. He attracts customers because we all still worship the old gods in our hearts, sure, but his workday starts when you all leave, and he's very happy doing it. He has a familiar, quiet
    via ship_toaster
  • 26
    environment, full of interesting smells, free of predators, and every so often some extra food runs across the floor for him. He's not upset about being alone, because he knows almost to the minute when someone will come back in the morning- just like a
    via ship_toaster
  • 27
    house cat knows when their person will come back from work in the evening. Does he cry when you leave? Does he try to run out the door during the day? Are there customers trying to hurt him?
    via ship_toaster
  • 28
    It sounds like there's a pain point that he's pooping outside his litter box. That's not good for you in particular, but it's a fixable problem. Animals are vulnerable when they poop, so they typically don't like doing it in front of a crowd. Can a coworker find a
    via ship_toaster
  • 29
    quieter place for his litter box, say inside a closet? Or set up a second litter box in a different location that he knows about. If that doesn't fix it, then he might need some medical attention.
    via ship_toaster
  • 30
    SudburySonofab h 15h ago h15h Just consider taking care of the cat as part of your job.
    via SudburySonofab***h

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employees cute cats cat rescue Horrible Bosses cat food Cats Bodega Cats animals
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