Venkman hasn’t got much use for beer, but he likes to nap on the cardboard cases. And he has a cool cat posse. He’s so popular that some people take the tour at Chicago’s Empirical Brewing just to see them. He has his own Twitter account and was recently featured in a CNN article about how feral cats are being used to tackle Chicago’s rat problem.
Venkman and his rat squad aren’t feral. They’re kind of spoiled, with toys and a mutli-story cat house with shelves, windows and a door.
But their hunting instincts are formidable, and they do a good job protecting the brewery’s supply of grain from the huge rats that used to spook workers, according to the CNN article. “They provide us with a lot of comfort and fun during the work days,” said head brewer Nevin McCown. “And they keep my grain safe.”