Simon Treadway Gato, the four-legged Lobby Ambassador of The Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, MA, has the important job of greeting visitors, posing for photos, and making himself available for head scratches and tummy pats. Simon escorts guests to their rooms and, on rare occasions, spends the night. This cat with his own fan club is now the subject of a new storybook by his mom, Jayne Church, writer Jana Laiz and photographer Nancy-Fay Hecker. Stop by the gift shop at the Inn on Saturday, Oct. 31 from 3 to 5 p.m. to get your copy, signed by the authors and Simon himself. My earliest memories are of the Eleanor Sonsini Animal Shelter in Pittsfield, where I lived for a short time until I was adopted by the lady I’ve come to know as “Mom." When she arrived at the shelter, she spent a lot of time looking at the cats and, after much deliberation, settled on me. We connected right from the start. She took me to The Red Lion Inn, where I was overwhelmed at first by the many people and all the different rooms that needed exploring. I later learned that I lived in a hotel, and my mom helped me find my way around and even installed a cat door so I could get to the basement where my food and litter are kept. That was nine years ago and I’m happier here than I’ve ever been. People love me, I have my choice of couches and chairs to nap on, and there are so many nooks and crannies to investigate that I am never bored.
I take great pride in doing my job well, but when I’m off the clock I have some hobbies: I love to go out to the Side Piazza and look for grass to chew; chasing birds and the occasional mouse in the garden keeps me pretty busy; and you will often find me napping in the sun on a wicker chair when the weather is nice. Although it’s strictly forbidden, sometimes I eat the flowers on the table in the Side Parlor, but I guess that’s more of profound joy than a hobby. My mom says that I’m very special and smart. But even before I met her, I always knew that I was going to be famous one day, have many friends and admirers, and have a book written about my life.
