Nowadays, when people think of Songbird Coffee, they probably think of Inky Bob, the tailless black cat that is often seen hanging around the coffee shop. He's become something of a mascot for the downtown Phoenix cafe. Even when he's hiding out somewhere, as cats do, you'll still find him in photos and artwork all over the walls inside Songbird. But he wasn't always the icon he is today.
"It's funny that it's called Songbird, and so we should have birds, but instead we have a cat," said Songbird owner Erin Westgate. "We actually had to get rid of our bird feeders because Inky Bob can be quite the hunter."
How Inky Bob became a downtown Phoenix fixture
Inky Bob showed up at Songbird Coffee in 2018, according to Westgate. He was estimated by vets to be around one to two years old at the time,
which would make him around ten years old today. When Westgate found him on the patio, he was an injured stray, his tail degloved from an unknown accident.
She immediately called one of her friends who runs a cat rescue. They were able to fix up his tail injury and neuter him and made attempts to acclimate him to life indoors. Though the rescue team tried their best, they ultimately deemed the moody stray "too feral to be adopted" and returned him to the coffee shop patio where they originally trapped him.
"It took about maybe three months before he decided that this was a pretty sweet deal," Westgate said.
She made a habit of leaving out cat food and water for him every day. But Inky Bob's favorite thing about Songbird Coffee was the customers.
"He's very sassy and grumpy and loves attention and cuddles," Westgate said. "He's usually fine with people just swooping him up and giving him hugs."
Songbird's regular guests are just as in love with Inky Bob as he is with them. He's a recurring star on the coffee shop's social media pages and artistic renditions of him are heavily featured on shirts, stickers and tote bags that the shop sells. Inky Bob even has an annual holiday in the city of Phoenix.
"I think he kind of serves as a therapy cat for a lot of people, but especially when students move out of their homes and into apartments and such and have to say goodbye to their own animals," Westgate said. "There's been a few times when he's jumped onto somebody's table or lap and they just start crying. I think he kind of knows sometimes when somebody is in need of his services."
Inky Bob is a cat to those who need one
While Songbird Coffee is his main home and Westgate his owner, Inky Bob likes to visit other downtown businesses in the Roosevelt Row area after the cafe closes. He's made appearances at Lucky's Indoor Outdoor, Cobra Arcade and even begged for fish at Moira Sushi.
"He's been the employee of the month at Sazerac," Westgate said.
Inky Bob had a heart disease health scare and had to stay inside at Westgate's home for a couple of days while he recovered after his vet visit. He spent those few days hiding under her bed. The vet told Westgate he was likely sad because "he missed all of his visitors."
Westgate is happy to see how beloved Inky Bob is by the city. Her only requests are that guests do not try to feed him, as he is on a special medicated diet for heart disease, and that they do not try to steal him away from Songbird. He's microchipped and has an AirTag collar, so she can always find him again when he ventures into the city.
How to visit Songbird Coffee and Tea in Phoenix — and meet Inky Bob
The best place to spot the iconic cat is at his home, Songbird Coffee and Tea in downtown Phoenix. The coffee shop is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
Details: 812 N. Third St., Phoenix. songbirdcoffeehouse.com.
Reach the reporter at eddie.fontanez@azcentral.com. Follow @ERFontanez on Instagram.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: How Inky Bob became Phoenix's most famous cat. 'He's very sassy'
