Tens of thousands of people have walked through the doors of Northwest Seed & Pet’s store on East Sprague since it opened its doors in 1944.
Plenty of its employees have worked there for over a decade, and loyal customers keep coming back time and time again, but no one knows the lay of the land quite like Gertrude, the store’s beloved cat.
Seventeen years ago, when Northwest Seed & Pet was still allowed to sell cats and dogs (a Washington state law passed in 2021 restricts retail pet sales), Gertrude was picked from a litter of kittens to be the store’s official mascot and pet. She was an immediate hit with customers, always greeting them and following people around the store…