Regulars of a Portland CVS are stunned after the corporate office banned a beloved cat from the store for sanitary reasons. The CVS Pharmacy in Sellwood found an unlikely friend in an 18-year-old cat named Nutmeg, who made the store his chosen home and earned him the title of 'unofficial mayor of Sellwood.'
However, the furry friend wasn't warmly welcomed by everyone. A member of a Sellwood-Moreland neighborhood Facebook group asked the cat's owners to keep him out of the store. A few days later, CVS's corporate offices received a complaint against the cat, Nutmeg's owners Joe and Gabi Moore told Oregon Live.
'We love Nutmeg too, but as a pharmacy and food retailer, we must maintain an animal-free environment to protect the health and safety of everyone we serve,' CVS officials said in a statement. 'Service animals are always welcome, but pets are not permitted inside.'
The ruling was met with a flurry of Nutmeg supporters in the community who have called for the cat to stay put. 'Nutmeg is really a delight to have in the neighborhood,' local resident Terry Walton told the outlet. 'He is friendly. He doesn't hurt anybody. He makes me happy when I come in, and he makes me smile. Everybody appreciates him and he's not doing any harm.'
The Moores adopted Nutmeg about one year ago after a friend was no longer able to keep him. They said the cat is incredibly social and constantly calls to be let outside. After adopting him, Joe told the outlet he would regularly receive calls from locals saying Nutmeg was spotted wandering the neighborhood, including hopping on someone's car. Before long, Nutmeg was in the CVS store and now spends nearly every evening there. Joe said he usually wanders over just before the store closes at 10 pm and takes Nutmeg home.
While the cat has been a popular addition to the store, he has been known to cause trouble, including tearing into a bag of pet food or getting himself trapped inside overnight after sneaking in just before closing time. 'He's an old man. He's almost 19,' Gabi Moore told the outlet. 'This is his retirement life. He doesn't have a lot of years to go, and for whatever reason he chose CVS as his place. That's the place he loves most. He likes it more than his home. Let's just let him have a happy end of life.'
Not long after orders came from CVS officials that Nutmeg should be shooed from the store, a petition to keep him there was posted but was quickly taken down by orders from corporate, according to Oregon Live. Right now, Nutmeg's future in the CVS store remains unclear. Joe added that if CVS wants to keep the cat out, however, it would be on the store to enforce that.
Joe told the outlet that he understands why some customers are less keen on Nutmeg's presence, but there is little he can do to stop the outdoorsy cat from wandering through the automatic doors. 'We're just trying to let the cat be the cat,' he said. 'If there's a solution that can make people happy, that's not onerous on us or the cat, we're happy to work with anyone and everyone.'
On social media, Nutmeg continues to have a flurry of fans. On Reddit, one user wrote that Nutmeg is 'a treasure' and another said the cat is a 'legend.' 'Nutmeg has singlehandedly made that store a beloved neighborhood fixture, which constitutes a Herculean accomplishment. The complainant should be politely, yet firmly, escorted out of Sellwood,' a third commented. 'I don't usually like CVS very much. This is one exception. It's fun to go in just to see Nutmeg,' one local said on Facebook. Another happily shared a photo of Nutmeg on the store counter and declared they had 'met the Mayor of Sellwood.' On TikTok, one user shared a photo of Nutmeg on the countertop and wrote: 'Got to meet him today! He's a sweetheart.' 'I've started going out of my way when I need a drug store just to see my boy nutmeg,' another said.
