Home Depot Leo: The Feline Mascot We Didn’t Know We Needed.

We’ve mentioned in several earlier articles that big box home improvement warehouses are pet-friendly. Leo was adopted by the staff at a Home Depot from the Burlington Animal Shelter in 2022. He began his life as a barn cat, which makes him a perfect addition to the staff at Home Depot in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. Leo is a top expert in rodent control. His experience as a barn cat was one of the factors that stood out as a huge positive on his resume.

Leo doesn’t have his own TikTok channel (yet), but he is friends with Will and Grace, who live with cat_dad_2020 (aka Jeffrey Simpkins). Will likes to visit Leo at Home Depot to check on him and ensure he is OK. That’s what started this journey. Jeff took a video of Leo and posted it. That went viral. Now, there are tons of videos of Leo on Jeff’s TikTok channel. Although responsibility for Leo is shared between several employees, Donna is his primary caregiver at the store.

Leo has a ton of tiny t-shirts and wears a different one each day. He hides in some out-of-the-way places, so the staff has placed an Air Tracker on his collar to help locate him. Leo is locked inside the temperature-controlled garden center each night before the store closes. He has a cat tree, bed, his favorite toy Woody, and all the amenities he could ever want or need.

In addition to his rodent control duties, Leo has Home Depot security patrol duties. He proudly patrols the store’s perimeter and ensures all aisles are safe.

The staff adopted Cheeks at the Deptford, NJ store to assist with rodent control. You know that these employees are part of the staff because they have their own little orange aprons! Cheeks is becoming a favorite in Jeff’s videos, also.

Home Depot Leo has a pretty large and growing fanbase. People travel from other counties to meet him, thanks to the videos posted by Jeff. He is very friendly and loves getting random pets as people pass him in the store. He has a dedicated shopping cart with toys, a soft blanket, and cat treats. People cannot help themselves; they love this little kitty. Jeff has an Amazon wishlist posted for Leo and his two friends, Will and Grace. He also mentions that you can donate to the local animal shelter instead of buying things for these kitties.

You can watch the video of Leo’s nightly routine below.

I would totally love it if my local Home Depot adopted a rodent control specialist! If you enjoyed this, please share. A compilation video chronicles Home Depot Leo’s comforts, too.

You can find the source of this story’s featured image here and here.