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Patrons entering the Luverne Ace Hardware store often inquire about the business’ newest “worker,” a year-old black-and-white cat named Ace.
In the month since Ace joined the 14 employees at the store, manager Kevin Mick has noticed customers — men, women and all the kids — ask a variation of the same question: Where’s Ace?
“The best thing for a lot of us is … she’s a stress reliever,” he said.
And a people person — and a prankster.
“We’ve noticed she likes to take a nap by people,” Mick said.
As workers restock shelves, Ace meanders over to check out the new merchandise and then makes a bed out of an empty supply box.
As children walk to the toy aisle, Ace will follow behind, hop up on the shelf and watch the youngsters eye the merchandise.
As customers bring their canines in to select pet food or a new toy, Ace is right behind them, waiting for a quick pat or a scratch behind the ears.
“A few times she will be sitting-in-wait and then jump out at customers,” Mick said.
A cat at an Ace Hardware store is not unusual.
The Jackson location has a resident feline and the Worthington and Windom locations are looking for cats to add to their stores.
For the Luverne store, a certain feline personality was desired.
The cat couldn’t act aloof or be aggressive if disturbed.
Ace has been neither.
She first came to the store this spring as part of a Tracy Area Animal Rescue fundraising event.
At that time her name wasn’t Ace. She was just a stray kitten rescuers fostered and offered up for adoption.
The kitten had been with TAAR for several months and no one seemed interested in offering her a home.
Mick said he was unsure why Ace wasn’t adopted, but the animal-loving employees at the store eagerly welcomed the feline to the store.
“It looks like we were meant to adopt her,” Mick said.
Much of the time Ace stays toward the front of the store, where the majority of the employees and customers congregate.
At night Ace is confined until the store opens the following day.
Signs posted to the hardware store’s front door caution customers entering and leaving not to let the cat out.
An incident in the first week of Ace’s adoption had the cat being accidentally shooed outside. Mick said she was quickly found wandering around outside the front door and was brought back inside.
On sunny days Ace often climbs on the sills of the store’s large window displays, napping or watching the street activity outside.
The cat adoption has brought smiles to both customers and employees at Ace Hardware.
“She’s special to us,” Mick said.