Sept. 2 (UPI) — A cat living at a Home Depot store in New Jersey has become a full-fledged social media celebrity — and has even been drawing new customers to the business.
Jeffrey Simpkins, whose TikTok videos of Leo the cat went viral, said he wanted to document the feline after first encountering him at the Mount Laurel store last month.
“The very first one I did, the first day it hit 4.5 million [views],” Simpkins told WTFX-TV. “I’m happy if I get 1,000 views on a video before this.”
Simpkins told WPVI-TV that Leo’s devoted fans admire “his unique personality, like he’s friendly, he wears clothing unlike other cats, and he has several places he sleeps at.”
Store employees said Leo was a former barn cat brought to the store about a year ago to help solve a mouse problem. The employees take care of Leo and make sure he gets regular vet check-ups and has a place to sleep when the store is closed on holidays.
Some customers said they came to the store just to see Leo.
“It is the last week of summer, so we figured let’s go see the cat and make the most of it and see if we can be part of his fan club,” Cherry Hill resident Michelle Lythberg said.
