Sparrow had a rough start in life. The cat was born to a stray brought into the Lewis County (Wash.) Animal Shelter who gave birth at the shelter overnight while no staff members were on duty. He and his littermates were tangled in their umbilical cord, which was wrapped tightly around Sparrow’s back left leg. The kitten’s foot fell off two days later.
The setback didn’t affect Sparrow’s laid-back, friendly personality, however. That calm disposition made him the perfect candidate for a plum job at the shelter: feline mascot. This week, Sparrow officially stepped into his new role, The (Lewis County) Chronicle reports.
Sparrow has big shoes to fill. His predecessor, Sumo, lived at the shelter for eight years, greeting visitors and hanging out with staff. When 15-year-old Sumo passed away peacefully in his sleep earlier this year, shelter staff looked carefully for a replacement, taking their time to find the perfect candidate.
Sparrow fit the role. “The shelter cat has to be laid-back,” said Robin Williams, one of the shelter employees. “There are people coming in and out all the time, and the temperament has to be right.”
Sparrow, named for Capt. Jack Sparrow of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies, follows several former shelter cats as mascot. Before Sumo, a short-legged miniature cat named Waylow filled the role. Before Waylow, the mascot was a cat named Homer.