Have you ever encountered a cat that can do tasks normally performed by humans? Epworth Hospital in Richmond, Australia, is home to a bizarre occurrence that occurs on a regular basis. A cat that had been loitering about a hospital for a year was eventually recruited as a guard cat for the hospital grounds. Elwood (the cat’s given name) is now a well-liked and hardworking employee at a local hospital.

Here is the transcript of an interview with Elwood’s colleague, Chantel Trollip, on Elwood and the important job he does for the hospital. Let’s move on to the next page!

Elwood is a tabby cat with a red and white coat. He has been seen (a lot, in fact) lurking about the main entrance of the Epworth Hospital in Richmond, Melbourne, Australia, according to witnesses. In an interview with Chantel Trollip, a Pathologist at Epworth Hospital, Elwood said that he had been going to the hospital to relax almost every day for over a year.

Many of Elwood’s days are spent either “securing” the front door, checking to see whether everyone has any pets or attention to offer, or basking in the sun in the adjacent shrubs. You know, doing what cats do best: sleeping. And this has been going on for a year now.

A few days later, while Trollip was arriving for work, she observed that Elwood was wearing a collar with what seemed to be a tag of some type. Coming closer, she saw that Elwood had been formally employed as a security cat for the Epworth security team to patrol the hospital grounds and provide protection for patients and visitors.

“I first spotted his ID badge on him in June,” I recall thinking. On that particular day, I was already in a foul mood, but seeing his ID badge completely changed my outlook!” Trollip went on to clarify. “Because he wasn’t dressed, I figured he was a stray when I first met him,” says the author. A collar and tag were then placed on him, followed by the acquisition of his own ID badge, which is similar to our genuine staff badges, right down to the call numbers on its back.”

Elwood’s intense interest in maintaining public order at the hospital led to his being hired as a real security guard at the facility. Elwood, you have earned your stripes! Incredible, there are two things that he continued to do: locking the door and ensuring sure no one entered without paying the pet fee, and lounging in the sun on his back porch.

“He is charming and pleasant, yet he does not show excessive devotion.” His favorite form of affection is a nice pat, although he prefers to keep things short and roam around a lot. After all, he is a member of the security staff and is responsible for ensuring that everyone entering and exiting the building is examined,” Trollip added.

There has been some debate about where Elwood originated from until recently, but now it seems to be clear. As a result of Elwood’s tag being on his collar and no one taking it off, it was assumed he was a stray. However, it turns out that he lives across the street with his true family and a twin brother called Jake. Every day, he just travels to the opposite side of the road (Erin St.) to go to work.

In addition, Trollip said, “He hasn’t actually attempted to go inside the hospital because I believe he’s too little to be able to operate the automated doors.” There is a kidney dish from the hospital that has been converted into a water bowl for him,” says the caregiver.

“Someone placed a collar and ID badge on him that looked just like the badges worn by our genuine workers.”

In light of the fact that Trollip has joined the security team, we’ve asked him how many illegal actions he’s been able to deter so far. She had the following to say:

“I believe that any prospective thieves are deterred by his gentleness when they see him walking down the street! The sound of his meow is incredibly lovely, and I believe that anybody with ill intent would immediately modify their plans if they heard it, therefore I guess that this is his method of getting the job done.”

Hiring cats to do human tasks seems to be a common practice, as shown by the Order of Attorneys of Brazil, a bar organization that hired Leon the kitten after receiving complaints about a stray cat prowling about the building. Instead of getting rid of him, they employed him as an attorney, and he is now a successful businessman. More information on Leon may be found in this post on Bored Panda.

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