Beloved Tesco cat, Freddie, gets banned from store after Karen complains, sparking backlash when community gets 4,600 signatures demanding his return: 'They felt what was lost when he disappeared'

The quiet town of Skegness, England, went through quite the uproar after nearly 5,000 community members rallied together, all for Freddie. Freddie is the local Tesco cat, a 4-year-old tabby who became a staple of everyone's Tesco expurrience. That is, until he got banned by an angry customer. Feeling the loss of his presence, they signed a petition to demand his return the store. Tesco officially responded and allowed him back, even if just to greet shoppers in the entrance. Justice has been served, and Freddie is now back where he belongs.

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  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10617602048
    via @Dexerto

    'Freddie' bundled up in the Tesco store entrance

  • We have a soft spot in our hearts for shop cats. Be they purrveyors of the local bodega, the trusty, wood-working Home Depot cats, or a cat that is simply there for the customer expurrience. They make every shopping trip far more enjoyable and we've never had a problem with any of them. However, not everyone loves cats as much as we do. 

    We get it, cats aren't the cleanest animals out there. They are very clean, in comparison to some others, but we understand why someone wouldn't want them around food. But, did this Karen have to go so far as to complain to Tesco headquarters to get Freddie banned from the store? Absolutely not, that was pawsitively vindictive. 

    But if there's one thing cat lovers won't stand for, it's unjust actions taken against cat community icons, like Freddie. Freddie became an essential part of the Tesco shoppers' enjoyment, and they felt his loss after he was kicked out. Thousands of people signed a petition for Tesco to allow Freddie to return, and their pleas were heard. Although Freddie is now only allowed in the entrance to greet people and give them a jolly farewell, it's still a win. Freddie is back, cared for, and getting lots of pets from everyone with a Tesco receipt. 

  • 02
    Dexerto V @Dexerto Follow Freddie the Tesco cat has returned after thousands signed a petition over his eviction
    via @Dexerto
  • 03
    Shoppers rallied behind the celebrity grocery cat, forcing an agreement that lets him return to greet customers
    via @Dexerto
  • 04
    TESCO
    via @Dexerto
  • 05
    TESCO TESCO TESCO FREDDIE THE CAT WAS BANNED FROM A TESCO STORE OVER ONE COMPLAINT, AND MORE THAN 4600 PEOPLE SIGNED A PETITION SHOWING HOW MUCH HIS DAILY PRESENCE MATTERED.
    via Wild Heart
  • 06
    Wild Heart 5h He got banned from a supermarket... and 4,600 people signed to bring him back. Friends, in Skegness, England, a four-year-old tabby named Freddie had a habit. He'd sit by the entrance of a Tesco, watch people come and go, and sometimes follow them in like he had somewhere to be. No one hired him. He just kept showing up until people started expecting him.
    via Michele Coupe
  • 07
    You'd walk in, and there he was. Some customers started looking for him without realizing it. A quick glance near the door, just to check if he was around. It wasn't dramatic. Just one of those small, steady things that quietly sticks. Then someone complained.
    via Michele Coupe
  • 08
    The store followed standard food safety rules, and Freddie was no longer allowed inside. Simple decision. Clear reason. End of story, at least on paper. But not for everyone else. More than 4,600 people signed a petition asking for him to stay. Not because they didn't understand the rules, but because they felt what was lost when he disappeared from that spot.
    via Michele Coupe
  • 09
    And that's the part that lands. Freddie didn't change the store. The store changed around him, because people noticed him, remembered him, and built him into their routine without thinking twice.
    via Michele Coupe

  • This is the power of a shop cat. They're kind, unbothered by the hustle and bustle of people, and just want a safe place to sleep while getting love from all the passersby. A good shop cat enhances your shopping expurrience, and Freddie seems like a purrfectly good example of an excellent shop cat.

  • 10
    SHOPPERS SAY FREDDIE HELPS THEM WITH ANXIETY, AND EVEN HOLIDAY-GOERS ARE 'FUMING'
    via dailymailuk
  • 11
    In the end, he wasn't fully brought back inside. He stayed in the foyer, close enough to still be seen, still be there. And somehow, that small adjustment carried more weight than the rule that removed him.
    via Michele Coupe
  • 12
    Cheezburger Image 10617607680
    via Facebook: Paul Vrs Wragg/Michele Coupe

    'Freddie' sitting in his box in the entrance to Tesco

  • 13
    Regulars say Freddie has become a "beacon of joy" at the store - but after a complaint, he's now been barred, sparking backlash from the community and thousands of signatures demanding his return.
    via dailymailuk
  • 14
    BackBingers @BackBingers BINGERS Not all heroes wear capes, some just sit near the entrance judging you
    via @BackBingers
  • 15
    A Tesco spokesperson previously confirmed that Freddie remains "very much part of the community," while adding the need to follow food safety regulations, therefore Freddie cannot be inside the main store area.
    via dailymailuk
  • 16
    mas @themasmedia Tesco needs to take a page from the story of Tama the Station Cat and realize good PR when they get it! R Hee Te 長ま 駅長 たま
    via @themasmedia
  • 17
    RustClash @RustClash today is a good day
    via @RustClash
  • 18
    Sanchez @Sanchez_rd WE SAVED THE TESCO CAT! After 5,000+ signatures and a lot of noise, Freddie has officially been allowed back at the Skegness Tesco. He's back in the foyer where he belongs, judging your grocery choices and demanding head scratches. Never underestimate the power of a community that loves a ginger cat.
    via @Sanchez_rd
  • 19
    TRUTH Mazi okwuoma @MaziEzike_Nedu Victory for the whiskers! After a massive petition and thousands of fans speaking up, Freddie is officially back at his Tesco post. Power to the people (and the pets) ...
    via @MaziEzike_Nedu
  • 20
    Mo. Beast @TeslaSteam Beta 0 ... Parody account Freddie really said "you can't fire me, the people love me."
    via @TeslaSteamBeta
  • 21
    Spencer @SpencerLSchotel Freddie out here doing what managers only dream of ...
    via @SpencerLSchotel
  • 22
    Raychi @raychix ... wait cats actually have more rights than most workers now society is evolving in weird directions
    via @raychix

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