Be greeted by Pringles the bookstore cat at Prospero's Books in Manassas, VA

When I entered Prospero’s Books in Manassas, Virginia last week, imagine my surprise when I was greeted by an affectionate orange feline named Pringles. To be honest, I almost jumped when I felt something fuzzy that I couldn’t see nuzzle my hand. When I saw that the fuzzy thing nuzzling my hand was an aging cat, all I could do was take a deep breath and say “well hello there kitty.”

Instead of pulling away, Pringles (see picture at bottom left) reveled in the attention and looked up at me with his golden eyes like he knew something I didn't. After I said my goodbyes to Pringles and walked toward the maze of mismatched bookshelves, Pringles stayed on the wooden chair by the front door grooming himself to perfection so he’d look his best when the next customer came in.

I have to be honest: I am absolutely thrilled that a 21st Century bookstore has a cat roaming its bookshelves and greeting customers. While some people might disagree with the practice (due to concerns about hygiene or allergies) I think that having a pet in any establishment—especially one that sells books—brings a warmth that can’t be created any other way.

If you’d like to meet Pringles in person, you can visit Prospero’s Books in Old Town Manassas. The address is:

Prospero’s Books (click for Google Map Directions)

9129 Center Street
Manassas, Virginia 20110

Contact: (703) 257-7895 
                 http://www.prosperosbooksva.com/

For those of you who take the VRE, the Manassas Station is within walking distance of Prospero’s Books.

Did you like this article? If so, check out other cat articles we've written: 

• An “Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader” created specifically for cat lovers 
  
• Pet video of the week: ninja cat - not Naruto 
  
• How to potty train your cat in ten easy steps
  
• OCD and your cat  
• The catnip conundrum: is the ‘nip okay for your cat? 
• Spotlight on Tama the Japanese stationmaster cat

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What do you think about the practice of having pets be an integral part of a business establishment? Do you feel that the practice is something that should be carried out more often, or do you find yourself hesitant to enter an establishment that allows pets to roam free?

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