Icelandic Cat Spends The Night In A Bookstore, Elicits Sympathy

A cat spotted staring pensively out from behind the locked glass doors of a Hafnarfjörður bookstore last night sparked an investigation which revealed more about the colourful life of the creature.

The matter was first brought to light in the Facebook group Kattavaktin, typically a venue for posting lost cats and returning them to their rightful human companions. The cat in question was spotted in the Eymundsson bookstore in Hafnarfjörður at about 23:00 at night, but the store itself closes at 18:00.

The initial post (probably jokingly) says the cat had broken into the store. From there, the speculations began. One commenter wondered if this was some kind of watchcat guarding the store. Others remarked that this was no cause for concern, as it is warm inside the store yet very cold outside, although some wondered about the state of the anti-burglary system in the store.

It later came to light that the cat is not only a regular visitor of the store; it also often stops by Litla Gæludýrabúðin, a pet supply shop located on the next street over from the bookstore. As such, this cat being in the bookstore after hours is most likely a regular occurrence; just not one often captured in a photo.

It is no secret that Icelanders love cats, and this Eymundsson cat is not even the only retail cat in the country. The most famous example is Baktus, a cat who regularly hangs out in numerous downtown Reykjavík stores. This cat is somewhat of a celebrity in his own right, and even has his own Instagram account.