At Disney parks, Mickey Mouse is, understandably so, a big deal. After all, he’s the head honcho. The big cheese, if you will. So much so that the term “mouse” has been for a variety of aspects of the company, both officially and unofficially. They sold a “Mousercise” album in the 1980s. “It was all started by a mouse” has been printed on T-shirts and mugs and everything else, for decades. And in recent years, the people at Disney who clean your room have been lovingly referred to as “Mousekeeping.”
Mousekeeping, huh? Well, I’ve got news for them…they ain’t got nuthin’ on THIS Mousekeeper… 😉
Fosshótel at Hellnar village on Snæfellsnes Peninsula is one of a chain of seventeen hotels in Iceland. It’s a typical 3-star hotel located near Kirkjufell Mountain and right under Snæfellsjökull Glacier, which is a national park made famous in the novel Journey to the Center of the Earth.
But in recent years, this particular Fosshótel isn’t so well known for its amenities, price or even location as much as it is one of its employees, named Pál Dánielsdóttir. But you can call her Pál.
Pál is a cat. A tabby cat, to be exact. And she’s a great mouse catcher. So when her owners, two Fosshótel workers who transferred from working in a southeast Iceland Fosshótel up to Hellnar, the brought Pál with them. The hotel manager was so impressed with Pál’s mousing abilities that they “hired” her and she is now, you guessed it, a Mousekeeper.
And yup, not only did she gain a job, but she also got her own Instagram, with over 8,300 followers! So you can follow Pál and her exploits (she really is a very cute cat – and I’m saying that as someone who’s not a cat person).
As per Morgunblaðið, the local newspaper, a spokesperson for Fosshótel says that although Pál is the only feline employed by the chain at this time, they’re considering adding more in the future. “We try to create a positive and enjoyable environment for staff and visitors. This is an experiment at the moment, but if successful, we will increase the number of Mousekeepers.”
You can follow Pal The Mousekeeper on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/pal.the.mousekeeper/.
** All photos via https://www.instagram.com/pal.the.mousekeeper/
*** Huge thank you to Laura Hodos for the heads up about Pál!
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
