Employee Q & A With Bob
 
Q. Do you have any pets?
A. Yes, two cats, a kitten and a Guinea pig:

The big boy is "OSCAR", a black beast of an alpha male cat, also affectionately known as the "Pinellas Park Panther" due to his habit of roughing up the other neighborhood kitties and bringing home trophies such as black snakes and various vermin whenever he manages to escape the house. Though every molecule a cat, Oscar is sly as a fox. If a new bag of cat food is left on the counter for too long, Oscar will sneakily claw a hole in it, grab a few bites and head for cover after alerting poor Oliver of the "treasure find". Ollie, being a Dat (see below), will invariably claw pawfuls of food out of the bag and be rolling in it just as mom (my girlfriend, Beth) enters the room. This inevitably results in Oliver being labeled "Bad Kitty" of the moment as Beth rewarding Oscar for being "Good Kitty" by filling his bowl with the new feed while Ollie must settle for what's left over in his bowl from breakfast or just water as punishment. Like I stated...."Poor" Ollie...."Sly Oscar".

Next is "OLIVER", a mostly grey tabby boy with white feet that make him look like he's always wearing socks, (no, the name "Socks" or Boots never entered into the picture, thank you very much!). Oliver is unique in that he is a "DAT", meaning that he is a dog trapped in a cat's body. Virtually everything he does is dog, not cat. Oliver is Oscar's partner in crime whenever possible and received his name because he simply wandered into our garage one night and has never left, so this orphan was naturally named Oliver after Oliver Twist and just like his namesake, when it comes to a good scratching, he is always asking... "Please sir, may I have some more?".

The kitten, whose origin is the answer to the question #3 below, is flaming orange and has paws and ears that ensure that he will be a big boy like Oscar. Only had him a week, so not much to report other than having to break him of the habit of sleeping in his litter box, (Not quite a complete success as of this writing!). Being a gift for my girlfriend's daughter, Katie, we naively allowed her to name the poor little guy. His handle is now "BEAST". We'll be working on that...

Last, but certainly not least, there is the Guinea Pig, "CALI". She is a calico rex cavi which means her coat is a little coarse and poodle-like with a long train. Her coloration is spectacular. She looks just like a roll of licorice/vanilla/caramel Lifesavers from nose to the tail. In addition, her right ear is white while her left one is black and her front right foot is black while her left one is white! She is full of personality and loves affection. If you ever consider bring a small animal into your life, you must consider one of these incredible little boogers.

Q. What is the funniest thing that has happened to you at your job at Pet Supplies Plus?
A. While I am quite sure that the "funniest" thing has yet to occur but one humorous moment comes to mind:
Wearing two Ball Pythons on my wrists like Cleopatra while working the floor catching the attention of quite a few customers, especially those that initially thought them to be fake snakes!

Q. Who was your most memorable customer/moment at Pet Supplies Plus?
A. As stated in #1 above, this relates to "Beast" (Jeeeeze Katie please come up with another name for the poor kitten before that one sticks!). Katie's 13th birthday was fast approaching and she had been "hinting" that she would not be adverse to possibly getting a kitten, (Hinting in this instance means "I WANT A KITTEN! I WANT A KITTEN! I!... WANT!... A!... KITTEN!!!!!!!). And as fate often has it, several Pet Supplies "Plus" customers started appearing that had just found abandoned litters of kittens but alas they were all far too young and still of nursing age. Then, on the eve of Katie's teen existence, a regular PSP customer called to ask about the flea treatment for some young kittens she found. I asked how old they were (She estimated about 6-7 weeks) and she asked if I knew anyone that might want one! She brought in the male kitty that very night and "Beast" found a home.

Q. What are some of your favorite activities you like to play with your pet?
A. Oscar is one of those cats that is somewhat smarter than some human beings I know. One day out of nowhere he walks over to me and drops a hair scrunchie at my feet while I was catching some TV. I ignore him and he picks it up again and moves it closer to me then backs off into my line of sight to the TV. Ignoring him further leads to his jumping up onto the coffee table, physically blocking my view of the TV while staring down at the scrunchie. In frustration, I pick up the scrunchie and throw it into the kitchen thinking he'll go play with it and leave me along. Within moments, Oscar is back, scrunchie in mouth, dropping it at my feet once again. This happens a couple of more times before it struck me. Yes folks, the "cat" had just taught the "human" how to play fetch with him!!!!! Ever since, that has been my and Oscar's fave playtime activity.

Oliver isn't much for fetch, (This one aspect of him that runs counter to  the "Dat" complex mentioned above), but he is the bigger sucker of the two boys for a laser pointer. While Oscar finds it amusing for a minute or two before he regains his self respect, Oliver will chase, jump, climb walls and do flips to catch that dang red dot until time itself ends. Suffice to say, laser-time with Ollie is a blast for the whole family while Oscar is sitting out wondering how bad Ollie is making "smart" cats look.

"Play" for Cali consists of simply opening her hay bag which causes her, upon hearing the plastic bag sound, to go into a feet of peeping and pop-corning up and down like she's on an invisible pogo-stick...'nuff said.

The kitten is Katie's and I haven't had much time to play with it because the other cats aren't quite used to the idea of yet another kitty in the house and "Beast" stays in her room most of the time. 
 
Q. What made you want to work at Pet Supplies Plus?
A. To be perfectly honest, I had been out of work for quite some time and needed a job. I thought Pet Supplies "Plus" would be a great opportunity due to my past retail management experience, the growth potential of the franchise and the high quality of people I would be working with and serving.
 
Q. What is it about Pet Supplies Plus that makes them stand out as a store for pets?
A. Part of this answer has been stated in answering question 6 but bares repeating. The people, from ownership to front line customer service personnel are first rate. The store is clean and wonderfully planned out to make shopping for anything for your pet a pleasurable, quick and convenient experience. The staff are knowledgeable, polite and eager to help you make the right choice for you and your furry family members. Our new, free Preferred Pet Club membership will only enhance these qualities and make PSP the "store of choice" for our customers and their pets.
 
Q. What is your favorite part about living in Florida?
A. The cool, almost pastoral summers and the great skiing in winter! Yeah....right. Let's face it folks...it's WAY HOT down here most of the year but the beaches, parks, people and restaurants make it all worth it. 

Q. What do you like to do in your free time/what are your hobbies?
A. It is probably best that I not answer this question lest we must change all names to protect the innocent! Just kidding people. Spending time with my two girls Morgan & Madison, (they live with their mom near Tarpon Springs) will always top my list along with the time I get to spend with Beth, the soul mate it took almost 50 years to find, (Yes, I'm 51 and proud of it!). Hobby-wise I love to build things, am an avid bowler and softball freak. Weird movies and progressive music also top my list.
 
Q. What’s the best place to eat in Florida, in your opinion?
A. Since I have a woman in my life my personal safety is best served by answering this with "My own home". If you press the issue I will say Bonefish Grill. Bang-Bang Shrimp (Hands down, the greatest appetizer ever invented by mankind) followed by a fresh Caesar salad. Then a 12 oz. blackened slab of Mahi Mahi with garlic mashed and greens on the side and a nice Pinot Grigio. Top this off with a healthy slice of NY Cheesecake and a cup of coffee and I will crawl into a corner and purr all night.

Q. If you could play with any celebrity pet, who would it be?
A. This is an easy one! It would have to be Lassie...now wait...wait a minute before you judge! I have a 35-year old bet with one of my best High School buddies and a six-pack of Mickey's Little Kings riding on it. You see...I say that "Hurry! Hurry! Billy's fallen down into the well again!" is "Bark, bark, ruff, woof, bark, woof-woof, bark" and my uninformed H.S. chum says it's "Bark, woof-woof, bark, ruff, bark, ruff, woof, bark" What a loser!