CAT WHO VISITS ALDI BECOMES SOCIAL MEDIA STAR

A pet cat who “likes Aldi” has become a social media star in his home town thanks to his many adventures.

Raymond, a three-year-old ginger tom, stalks supermarket aisles, lets himself into people’s homes for visits and even sneaks into hotel bedrooms for naps.

He has gained hundreds of social media followers in a matter of weeks, who share pictures and stories about his escapades around Llangollen, Denbighshire.

“He’s one of a kind,” said Raymond’s owner, Rebecca Palombella.

Ms Palombella, 33, who lives in Llangollen, said Raymond had always been prone to wandering.

“He goes everywhere,” she said.

“The recent one is Aldi, he likes Aldi.

“Someone messaged me saying ‘can you come and get your cat from Aldi?’

“I wasn’t actually in town, but they know him and it came over the tannoy – ‘Raymond is on aisle 2’ – he was in the meat aisle!”

Ms Palombella said Raymond had also been known to visit Spar – where she found him in the cat food aisle – as well as numerous local hotels and cafes.

“He first started going to The Hand Hotel in Llangollen and we were constantly getting phone calls to come and get him because he was going up to the bedrooms and they’d find him asleep on the bed,” Ms Palombella said.

“Most guests did like him but some obviously had allergies so he had to be turfed out all the time.

“He also went to the Bridge End Hotel and he stayed the night in one of the rooms once.”

Most recently, Raymond turned up at The Wild Pheasant Hotel – where staff said he tried to get into the penthouse suite.

The hotel’s general manager, Becky, said: “He tried to make his way to the penthouse suite, which has a hot tub, as if he was a VIP guest.

“He walked across the bar – which we thoroughly cleaned after.

“He took up my seat in the office and decided to be the general manager.”

Raymond’s various adventures prompted Ms Palombella to set up a Facebook page for him.

“I thought at least I can keep track of him,” she said.

“People were constantly messaging me saying ‘is this your cat?’

“They don’t message me anymore because they know who Raymond is now.

“So at least I know if I need him to come home I can just go and grab him.”

Ms Palombella said people sometimes asked her why she did not keep Raymond indoors as a house cat.

“People do comment saying ‘oh I wouldn’t want my cat going out’,” she said.

“But I can’t keep him in because he’d hate it.

“I did worry about him at first, I worried about the roads… [but] he’s quite street wise – I like to think he is anyway.

“He does come home, but only when it suits him!”