Main image via The Dodo
Sometimes, we tend to see the same animals in the same places, for example a stray cat outside your house.
One cat made his appearance at a hospital so often, they made him an official security guard!
Image via The Dodo
Elwood the cat has been hanging around the Epworth Hospital in Richmond, Melbourne, Australia, so much that the hospital decided to make the cat an honourary security guard!
Chantel Trollip, who works at the hospital, shared that she has been greeted by the red and white tabby cat everyday for the past year.
“I first met Elwood about a year ago. I picked up more hours at the hospital and saw him hanging around more often,” Chantel. “He’s there pretty much every day, if I don’t spot him, my coworkers do. He’s usually either securing the front door waiting for pats or lounging in the bushes nearby soaking up the sun.”
Image via The Dodo
Chantel and her coworkers aren’t sure where the cat came from or who it belongs to, but Elwood makes himself perfectly at home around the hospital. In fact, no one questioned it after a while and even considered the cat as a hospital employee!
One day in June however, Chantel noticed an addition to the cat’s collar. He was now sporting an employee ID badge which labeled him as part of the security team!
"I first noticed his ID badge on him in June. I was actually having a case of the 'sads' that day, but seeing his ID badge turned my whole mood around!" she said.
"When I first saw him, he wasn't wearing anything, so I assumed he was a stray. Then someone put a collar and tag on him and now most recently he's got his own ID badge, which is identical to our actual staff badges down to the call codes on the back,” Chantel explained.
Epworth Hospital confirmed the news of Elwood’s employment in a statement and noted that the cat actually lives across the road from the hospital’s Erin Street entrance.
"During the day the playful puss often struts across the road to keep guard and greet patients and staff outside the hospital," the hospital said. “The mischievous moggy has been able to snuggle up to security, obtaining his own staff ID pass.”
Image via The Dodo
Elwood’s job title may have changed but his day-to-day routine hasn’t.
The cat takes his security job seriously by guarding the entrance and though he loves the attention and head pats he gets, he doesn’t linger or cuddle up to one group for too long. He’s got a job to do, after all.
“He enjoys a good pat but likes to keep things short and move around a fair bit,” Chantel said. “He is on the security team after all, has to make sure everyone coming and going gets checked.”
Image via The Dodo
With Elwood around, we’d definitely feel safer!
Elwood’s one of the goodest catto we’ve seen around! Have you met a pet with an official job? Let us know!
Info via The Dodo + NDTV