What do you call a bookstore that is hard to find? A novel location.

It’s a silly joke, still good for a giggle from children. But today, as print sales decline and brick-and-mortar shops struggle to keep their doors open, independent booksellers cannot rely on silly jokes, or risk obscure locations, to attract buyers. Instead, some retailers have embraced another kind of novel appeal: adding cuddly pets as a regular presence in their stores.

For many readers, the pairing likely seems natural. The image of a bookish reader, curled in a comfy chair with a snoozing animal, is familiar in popular culture and art. Furthermore, cats have long been fixtures of independent bookstores. Today, some stores are taking that notion to another level, by adding multiple pets, including more exotic animals, to their neighborhood shops. For example, Wild Rumpus Books, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, hosts two cats, two birds, two chinchillas, a crested gecko, and about ten fish. Likewise, Bear Pond Books in Montpelier, Vermont, boasts a Russian tortoise named after a beloved children’s classic, Veruca Salt from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Each year, Bear Pond Books throws a birthday party for Veruca, complete with tortoise-themed stories.

For some retailers, the actual responsibility for caring for the animals might be more than they want to accept. Yet they still might leverage the combined appeal of pets + books. The dog-themed bookstore Tales & Tails, in Fredericksburg, Virginia, features a variety of dog-themed books and merchandise, as well as a café full of doggie dining options. A dog-friendly space at the back of the shop hosts customers who prefer to bring their canine companions with them while shopping.

Another option for stores that prefer not to have permanent pets leverages a social responsibility element too. Adventures Underground Bookstore in Richland, Washington, made headlines after partnering with a local animal rescue to host adoption events. The event was considered especially notable, because the majority of animals available were those that rescue groups consider some of the hardest to place: guinea pigs, rabbits, turtles, and all sorts of reptiles.

As this variety of approaches indicates, it seems as if there’s no bad way for booksellers and animals to come together. When they do, in nearly any capacity, it gives the often overlapping markets of animal lovers and book lovers a compelling reason to visit.

Discussion Questions

1. What are some other ways that bookstores can incorporate animals?
2. Are there other retail markets that might benefit from adding pets to their stores? Are there those that could not leverage this tactic? List examples of each.

Sources: Elisabeth Egan, “More Purring, More Buying? Why Bookstores Showcase Their Pets,” The New York Times, July 23, 2025; Michele Kettner, “Find a New Dog-Themed Bookstore in Downtown Fredericksburg,” Northern Virginia Magazine, June 9, 2025; Steven Hogencamp, “Pet Adoption Event at Richland Bookstore Finds Homes for Small Animals,” NBC Nonstop Local News, July 27, 2025.