Have You Met Dubuque’s Adorable Hardware Store Cat?

One of the many joys about a family-owned small business is that you often see and experience things that you can't find at big box corporations. One of the greatest pleasures about Steve's Ace Home & Garden in Dubuque, IA is the presence of an adorable kitty who wanders the aisles, specifically the store's large garden center.

That kitty's name is Blossom, and she has been one of the main attractions for me and my girlfriend, Catherine, whenever we go to Steve's Ace. Blossom was adopted from the Dubuque Regional Humane Society alongside her late brother, Bolt.

Years back, Steve's Ace held a Facebook contest to name the two cats. Ultimately, the names that garnered the most votes couldn't have been more fitting. "Bolt" would be the male cat who spent his time in the hardware portion of the store, while "Blossom" would be the female cat who hung out in the garden center.

After my umpteenth encounter with Blossom this weekend, I decided she was worthy of her own little piece of internet real estate. I reached out to my good friend/Steve's Ace Marketing & Communication Manager Stacy Raap, who reached out to store-owner, Sara Carpenter, in hopes of getting more information on Blossom.

To my delight, they provided me with a little bio for Dubuque's precious little hardware store cat:

We adopted [Blossom] and brought her to the store in 2018 [....] [Blossom] loves watching the parakeets, spends most of her time laying around, basking in the sun. She is shy but greets our guests with kindness. When things pick up, especially during big events she loves to hide and observe from a far which usually results in the kiddos playing seek and find blossom [....] she has some really great hiding spots. - from Sara Carpenter, per Stacy Raap

On Saturday afternoon, Blossom was taking advantage of a very toasty garden center. She was lounging on a plant cart when me and Catherine found her. We greeted her with pets and a lot of attention. She enthusiastically started rubbing her head on a nearby plant in excitement. She's an absolute joy to encounter.

Sadly, Blossom's brother Bolt fell ill and passed away last year. You can read his Facebook eulogy, and see some photos of the adorable boy below.

Blossom is just one of several animals you can find at the Steve's Ace Home & Garden store on JFK Road. You can also find two bunnies named Luella and Nova, three parakeets, and six chickens! Find out more information on Steve's Ace on their Facebook page.