I used to work at a library that changed up the theme in the children’s department every year, and for the first few years, the themes involved animals. “Under the Sea” was fish. “Creepy Crawlies” was tarantulas and a giant centipede (shudder). “On the Farm” was a giant incubator with baby chicks. And for many years, we had a bearded dragon named Lizzy, who was surprisingly snuggly for a two-foot lizard. (And apparently bearded dragons are popular choices for resident library animals.)

I’ve loved animals since I was a kid, so I am always delighted when I learn about libraries and bookstores that have their own resident pets. Check out these places where animals and books share the spotlight.

Library Cats

Obviously, cats are the first animal you think of when you think of library pets. There’s no way to highlight all of the libraries and bookstores with resident cats, so here are just a few furry highlights:

• The South Dade Regional Library in Florida did more than bring a cat into the building: they included an entire “catio” adoption lounge as part of their 2025 renovations, in partnership with Miami-Dade County Animal Services! Talk about workplace distractions—if I worked there, I’d never leave the catio!
• Browser the Library Cat lived at the White Settlement Public Library in Texas from 2010 to 2025, but he was almost evicted from his home in 2016. The city council had initially passed a motion to remove Browser from the library, but a massive international email campaign encouraged the council members to unanimously reverse the previous motion.
• The Friends of the Philadelphia Free Library have three cats hanging out in their Book Corner storefront, located directly behind the Central Library in downtown Philly. I’m including this one because I visited the Book Corner last year and was absolutely delighted to look down and find a cat lounging on one of the endcap displays (see below).

Dogs and Owls and Axolotls…Oh My!

• Parnassus Books in Nashville was opened in 2011 by author Ann Patchett, and they have shop dogs that make frequent appearances on their social media!
• About 10 years ago, the University of Bath started bringing in a trained eagle owl named Yoda, who would chase away gulls from the library building. In recognition of his hard work, Yoda was issued his own library card in 2015.
• The Centre County Library in Bellafonte, Pennsylvania has a resident axolotl (yes, you read that correctly) named Axl Prose, and they recently posted an Instagram video of library staff showing him things he would never be able to see otherwise.

• And finally, Wild Rumpus Books in Minneapolis lives up to its name with resident cats, chinchillas, birds, and a crested gecko named “The Stinky Cheese Man.”

Where do your favorite library and bookstore animals live? Let us know!