Senior Cat Escapes Home Everyday Just To Hug Her Favorite Mailman

Mail carriers are well-known for encountering animals along their routes, especially dogs. Some mail carriers are afraid of dogs, while others carry along treats to placate angry pups. It’s not unusual for mail carriers to develop real affection for the dogs on their route. But they can also form surprising connections to other kinds of animals. That’s what happened to Mike McEuen when he met a special cat on his mail route.

17. Perks

McEuen doesn’t think of animals as liabilities when it comes to getting his job as a mail carrier done. The McKinleyville, California mailman says that all of the animals are highlights of his day. He even has a few dogs who stand out from the crowd. But it’s a cat named Bijou who has stolen his heart.

16. Dogs

“There are a few dogs on my routes that I really love seeing, and a couple that seem to know the sound of my truck’s door sliding open. If I can make it work (still gotta get done on time!) I like to at least give them a ‘hello’ and some quick love before moving on,” McEuen said.

15. Elderly Cat

“However, Bijou is the only cat I have on my routes that seems to make it a point to visit every time I am there.” McEuen’s relationship with Bijou started four years ago when the U.S. Mail assigned McEuen a new route. This one came with an elderly cat.

14. Bijou

Bijou is a unique cat, with one milky eye and a crooked half-tail. Although she looks tough on the outside, her interior is pretty sweet. All the mail carriers had praised her for having a great disposition. She was even friendly toward the carriers who invaded her home turf.

13. The Best

“The first time I met her, my first impression was that she was a super old, sweet kitty that looks to have been through it all. A bit rough around the edges but nice as can be,” McEuen said. “I told the regular carrier on the route about it and he told me, ‘Yeah, that’s Bijou. She’s the best!’”

12. Hello Old Friend

McEuen is a substitute carrier, so five days a week he walks five different routes. That means he gets to see Bijou about once every five days. But Bijou knows exactly who he is. Whenever she sees him pull up to the house in the truck, she runs out the front door to greet her friend.

11. What’s in the Box?

“For the first few years, she would wander out to the mailbox when she heard me getting out of the truck,” McEuen said. “She is always there once I have the mail on top of the boxes.” Like most cats, Bijou is very inquisitive about what is in those boxes.

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10. Friendship

It really didn’t take Bijou long to warm up to McEuen. As the other carriers said, she is very friendly. Even during the first few times McEuen arrived on her doorstep with the mail, she would greet him by rubbing his legs. She let McEuen know she was happy to see him.

9. Royal Treatment

Now that they have known each other for a long time, McEuen gets the royal treatment when he arrives. She even boldly climbs into the mail truck if he’s distracted at all. She thinks she could drive the truck!

8. Inquisitive

“Sometime toward the end of last year, she started getting more exploratory with my truck,” McEuen said. “It’s only a couple feet from where I’m delivering, so when she sees I’m working and not bending down to pet her, she wanders that way.” Naturally Bijou wants to know everything about the truck.

7. Driving

“After a couple months of sniffing around the door, she started climbing in and milling around on the floorboards,” McEuen added. “That quickly evolved into her getting all comfy on the seat. She just hangs out until I am done with the mail.”

6. Paws

Bijou has made it known that McEuen must give her a certain amount of attention before he leaves her area. She has to get her daily pets no matter what. If McEuen decides to leave without doling out the pets, Bijou takes matters into her own paws, taking control of the truck.

5. Pets

“I learned right away that I couldn’t just shoo her out of the truck. She would hold her ground and gently protest until I pick her up and give her a few pets and squeezes,” McEuen said. “Once that is taken care of, she’s happy to head back to her house until I see her next time.” He knows that just like your own cat at home, when pets must be held, they must be held.

4. Dedicated

Bijou likes having such a dedicated friend to greet him while he works the route. He said he never comes away with anything less than a smile when he encounters Bijou. Her attitude helps to break up the monotony of a high-pressure job.

3. Greetings

“Most cats seem content doing their own thing and keeping to themselves,” McEuen said. “I like to think Bijou looks forward to the mailmen showing up as much as we look forward to being greeted by her!” This shows that cats are not as aloof as some think.

2. Bonded

This proves yet again that animals and people can form special bonds even in circumstances where they are not around each other often. However, by treating Bijou with respect, McEuen was able to foster a close connection. He said he hopes others have similar experiences.

1. Hello

“I like to think the animals appreciate someone stopping in and saying hello during the day when their family members are at work or school,” McEuen said. “[It] breaks up the monotony of their day and gives them a little human interaction on what might be a kind of lonely afternoon.”