Kittens In A Bookstore, A Tale Of Pure Joy

Written by: Kelli Brinegar
For more than five years, Kelli Brinegar has been using her ability to write and her passion for research to tell the tale of what cats are thinking and why. She has provided care to more than 30 cats in her lifetime.Read more
| Published on February 19, 2020

Cat lover and poet T.S. Eliot wrote, “Books. Cats. Life is good.”

In these words, Eliot caught the simple truth of life and many of his fellow cat lovers live by this rule still and always.

And it seems the patrons of Otis & Clementine’s Books & Coffee believe in Eliot’s words too.

Located in Upper Tantallon, Nova Scotia, Otis & Clementine’s Books & Coffee is a favorite for book worms and cat people alike.


Otis & Clementine’s Books & Coffee/Facebook


Otis & Clementine’s Books & Coffee/Facebook

Within the shop’s walls, those with a heart for felines and words will discover paradise waiting. Patrons can purruse the shelves as well as enjoy coffee and the company of the cute and furry.


Otis & Clementine’s Books & Coffee/Facebook

Cuddly kittens roam the shop, helping customers choose their next read, playing on the furniture, or snoozing on the stacks.


Otis & Clementine’s Books & Coffee/Facebook

And, if a bookworm happens to form the special attachment with one of the adorable kittens that leads to a forever home, then great! That’s the hope of shop owner Ellen Helmke as all the kitty cats hanging about Otis & Clementine’s are available for adoption.


Otis & Clementine’s Books & Coffee/Facebook

Grab a Book, Adopt a Kitten

Last year, Ellen realized how much space she had available in the shop and wanted to do something to help better kitty cat lives. So, fostering kittens and their mama cats at the store seemed a perfect fit!


Otis & Clementine’s Books & Coffee/Facebook

The kittens come to Otis & Clementine’s through the South Paw Conservation Nova Scotia, where they are “vet checked, vaccinated, feline leukemia tested, treated with revolution, and dewormed within the first few days of arrival or when healthy/old enough.”


Otis & Clementine’s Books & Coffee/Facebook

South Paw told Bored Panda, “Otis & Clementine’s Books and Coffee is one of many loving foster homes that provide an enriching environment for our kittens and cats. It’s amazing to have this unique platform to help home our kitties.”

The idea of having kittens available for adoption in a bookstore is indeed the most novel idea ever.


Otis & Clementine’s Books & Coffee/Facebook

The shop has helped 30 cats and kittens find their forever homes which brings their adoption rate to 100 percent.


Otis & Clementine’s Books & Coffee/Facebook

“People come here specifically to see the cats, and then some people just wander in to look at books and discover there are kittens,” Ellen said in an interview with Global News. “Either way, the response has been really great—I mean, who doesn’t love kittens, right?”


Otis & Clementine’s Books & Coffee/Facebook

“I’m so happy to make my customers happy when they come in and they’re just thrilled to see a kitten they weren’t expecting… It’s amazing and makes me happy to come to work.”

Ellen is right, being able to work with and care for cats is pure joy. In fact, cat lovers might even say it creates a happily ever after to their story.

H/T: www.boredpanda.com
Feature Image: Otis & Clementine’s Books & Coffee/Facebook