Rescued Cat Walks Into Mall And Decides She Lives There Now

Meet Cristal — a rescued cat in Medellín, Colombia, who got more than she bargained for six years ago. When she arrived at a shelter outside of the city with her babies in 2018, Cristal simply hoped to land a loving home. She kissed her kittens goodbye after they were each adopted before her and waited for her dreams to come true.

She had no idea that she’d soon live somewhere bigger and better than what any house could offer.

As soon as the owners of a pet supplies store called Patas Parriba saw Cristal, they adopted her and took her to the mall where the store was located.

Patas Parriba welcomed Cristal with open arms, setting up a litter box and food bowls in the store for her, and gave her free rein of the expansive mall. They were delighted to see the adventurous girl take to her surroundings right away.

“Cristal adapted quickly to the mall,” Luciana of Patas Parriba told The Dodo. “We learned that she liked being petted by shoppers, and she was calm she whenever she walked away from the store to explore.”

Cristal soon became a staple at Santafé Mall, located in the bustling El Poblado neighborhood of Medellín. When she wasn’t greeting customers entering her beloved pet store, the sweet girl could usually be found trotting around one of the mall’s five floors.

Her living situation was unconventional, but it worked for the independent girl. She eventually developed a reliable routine that included frequent naps and check-ins with neighboring stores.

“I love visiting my neighbor friends, checking out everything that’s at my fingertips, and one of the things I love the most is playing in the plants,” Patas Parriba wrote on Instagram from Cristal’s point of view. “I love climbing up and discovering new things. Every day, I make a new plan. But one of my favorite things to do is run up the stairs and relax on the furniture. I also love being visited.”

For the next six years, Cristal solidified her role as the mall’s unofficial mascot and pet. Shoppers and workers alike were delighted to see her roaming the halls, offering a loving pet or two to the sweet girl as she passed them by.

Six years after adopting Cristal, Patas Parriba had to make a difficult decision when they chose to relocate the store to an outdoor mall in a different part of town. They wanted to take Cristal with them, but the new location, lined with busy roads, wasn’t safe for the roaming girl. And they knew that keeping her locked inside the small store would make her even more uncomfortable.