Happy Caturday! Avert your eyes from the 30th Olympiad for a worthy moment in cat coverage. (I know, it’s hard. I’ve been glued to cycling and fencing since I woke up.) Have you ever walked into a local shop to find a lazy cat greeting you with its oozing indifference? So have I! The comic book store down the street has a couple cats meandering the nerd grounds, itching for some scratches being the ears. The shop has established a homey feel from the feline domestication they share with their customers.

But what about the local institution I frequent the most? The public library needs cats. I’m already as comfortable as I can be and can feel right at home for hours on end. Throw a cat in the mix and I’m never leaving. That’s why for today’s Caturday installment, we are honoring the many cats around the nation that love cozying up to you as you dig into Tolkien, Klosterman, Chabon or Waugh.

Sir Eli, the fluffy white cat featured above, is the ultimate comfort cat. He hangs out in the Los Robles Elementary School Library in Porterville, CA twice a week to keep children company as they flip through storybooks. His owner also takes him to hospitals and hospices to delight patients that need a boost.

This orange treasure, Dewey, was taken in by Iowa’s Spencer Public Library in 1988 after being left in the book return bin. He slinked around the book stacks for almost 19 years before passing away in 2006. Dewey’s long career at the library inspired a book as well as a film currently stuck in development starring none other than Meryl Streep!

How do you feel about cats in public establishments? Do you have any local cat mascots in your area?

[via Flavorwire]