The Barking Cat

There's a pet store called the Barking Cat Pet Emporium in Salem, Massachusetts. They carry, among other things premium quality cat food from companies like PetGuard, Solid Gold, Wellness, and Wysong.

I've never been there, but the shop gets good reviews from what I've seen, and has a historic charm. It's also famous for being a favorite resting spot in the busy day of a wandering cat named Lucy.

Lucy is a large Maine Coon cat and, believe it or not, a boy.

This popular kitty has gotten some media attention, like this Salem News story about Lucy

Lucy's favorite spot is The Barking Cat, a shop on Essex Street that caters to dog and cat owners.

Owner Jeff McKee said Lucy stops by almost every day.

"He likes to talk to people and get the attention," McKee said. "He just hangs out. He's very sweet and seems to like everybody."

Update: In early April of 2011, Lucy was catnapped! Thanks to some tipsters, and a local police officer who knows him, he was recovered, unharmed. Apparently, an elderly man was seen carrying him down the street, and took him home!

Videos

In honor of Lucy, and the Pet Emporium with the funny name, here are some videos of cats that bark, courtesy of YouTube.

By the way, bubbles make excellent homemade cat toys and many cats cannot resist them. Just make sure you use non-toxic bubbles.

A number of these cats actually sound like they're doing a variation of the chattering sound that many cats use when they're observing prey they can't get to, like a bird outside the window. You can read descriptions of various feline sounds along with some links to some audio and video of more cat sounds here.

Brian Branch photo blogged this shot of Lucy the cat.

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