LA Weekly

While one’s first urge may be to defuse the nuke or outrun the withering waves at the edge of apocalypse, most people would simply hug their loved ones or play with their pets when global death comes tapping. More than likely, we will be caught unprepared when the bolt shoots out of the blue — shopping, enjoying a golf outing or just watching television. Were I to find myself at Skylight Books picking up the latest issue of Mad (it’s really gone downhill in the past decade), I would pet Lucy the Cat as the end came down. Kerry Slattery, Skylight’s general manager, brought Lucy to the store from Catts & Doggs Pet Boutique on Hyperion after Lucy kept reaching out at her from the cage.

“People come in just for the cat — sometimes they don’t even buy anything!” Slattery says.

With an attitudinal span ranging from affectionate to snooty, Lucy emerges during special events and commandeers laps hither and yon. This eternally unperturbed cat would most likely just blink twice as the final heat flash intermingled cat and human atoms. This cat is real tüff, so tough, in fact, that the word must necessarily contain an umlaut. She lounges around all day, pokes an ant, has a snack, sings a song, chases a square of sunlight, accuses a mouse, chews on a moth, yet remains nice and pettable.

True, she does have long fangs. Fierce! But sweet. A demon! But sweet. A tailless, striped tabby with a purple collar and tufted ears, Lucy has made sure that for more than 10 years, every single corner of every book for sale has been rubbed by her itchy face.

Occasionally, people are vexed that she doesn’t come up to say hello — but she’s not going anywhere. There are always other chances. It’s not like it’s the end of the world.


1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Feliz, (323) 660-1175 or www.skylightbooks.com.