While sharing the news that its long-time resident feline, Mr. Feeny, had passed, The Chocolate Moose announced yesterday that they would be accepting donations for The Raleigh County Humane Society in honor of their furry friend.
Over the past several years, The Chocolate Moose has been selling “Feeny” stickers for $4.99 and giving the proceeds to the very shelter Mr. Feeny was rescued from 19 years ago. Now that Mr. Feeny has passed on, the business is selling the stickers for any amount donators wish to pay.
According to Kevin Traube, owner of The Chocolate Moose, Mr. Feeny had raised close to $1,000 for the Humane Society over the last three years.
Traube told Mr. Feeny’s story, explaining that his son rescued him nearly 20 years ago. Since he and his wife live next to their business, Traube said Mr. Feeny- who, yes, was named after the teacher from the 90s American sitcom “Boy Meets World”- took to visiting the coffee shop from time to time.
“Mr. Feeny was a bit of an outside cat, but he would always wander in and interact with people. He would lay in front of them when they were trying to golf or sit on their laptops when they were trying to work. This just kind of became part of his territory. He really spoke to people in a way and added something to this place.”
Even when the health department kicked Mr. Feeny out of the coffee shop, Traube said he always had a way of sneaking back in and stealing the hearts of the customers.
At the news of Mr. Feeny’s passing, handfuls of past and present customers took to Facebook and shared their own pictures of the pet, commenting on how he had impacted their lives.
Traube told Lootpress that he wasn’t expecting such an outpouring of love because Mr. Feeny’s declining health had recently kept him out of the public eye.
“To see all this love and affection and cute pictures has really amazed me because you might work so hard to generate social engagement, but here is something that happened so naturally. He was a classic cat. He has done work in the community just by being himself.”
Traube says he plans to hold the decal donation for a several months so that everyone who loved and appreciated Mr. Feeny can have a reminder of him and do something good for local animal shelter in the process.
The Chocolate Moose is located at 1818 Harper Road in Beckley.
