“Cats and beer. It’s what we do.”

This is Monkeyface, one of the patrons of The Bag of Nails

“Cats and beer. It’s what we do.” That’s the comment by Luke Daniels, proprietor of The Bag of Nails, a pub in Bristol, England. He notes that they are also well known as The Cat Pub, thanks to an ever growing family of felines who camp out at the establishment.

Around this time of year, with so many news stories depressing spirits, I was happy when my cat Vino called my attention to this story with a bat of his paw and rather loud, “meow.”

Mr. Daniels says the Bag of Nail’s now Britain-wide reputation started in 2011 shortly after he opened the pub and a small cat came by to visit.

The cat he named Malcolm kept returning and of course he fed it and pretty soon another (named Beresford) joined, and, well as my son once said, “cats are like potato chips, you can’t have just one.” The cats come and go as they please but mostly, they are pleased to hang out with the patrons of the pub.

As one commentator on a cat fanciers’ website noted, “The Bag of Nails, unlike your typical dimly lit watering hole serving flat pints, offers an extraordinary haven where you can unwind, explore diverse IPAs, engage in spirited board game tournaments with friends, and revel in the delightful company of cats.”

If only it were a wine bar. Glass of Meowlow anyone?

Be sure to check out Bag of Nails - they have a great Facebook page listed as “Bag of Cats”