Pumpkin the Norwich cat banned from Tesco has defied the rules and is back at the checkout

SAM January 28, 2020
Pumpkin the cat manning one of the tills. Pumpkin the cat has inspired a boycott among locals of Acres Way Tesco Express in Drayton, Norwich, after bosses banned the friendly feline from the store after he became a regular visitor to the supermarket. See SWNS story SWCActa. Pet-loving shoppers are boycotting a Tesco express store after bosses banned a friendly cat who had become a regular visitor there, Pumpkin the ginger tom is known for regularly strolling into the store and having a snooze on some of the tills and has become a big hit with customers. But store chiefs have now banned the popular moggy from setting up home saying it is 'not Tesco policy.' Store leader, Andrew Tabiner, 49, said the cat was "banned" with some members of staff calling him a "hindrance and a pain".
Have you got ID? (Picture: Jo Harding /SWNS.COM)

Back in November, a rebel without a cause entered our lives, and set the hearts of the country alight.

That rebel was Pumpkin, a ginger Tom cat from the Drayton area of Norwich, who was banned from his local Tesco shop.

With his devil-may-care attitude and look of ‘try me, I dare you’, Pumpkin was known for sitting on the checkouts and greeting customers at the door of the shop, which is just a few doors down from his house.

However, staff at the shop decided it wasn’t appropriate for the six-year-old rescue cat to be in a food shop.

Store leader, Andrew Tabiner, 49, then said the cat was ‘banned’ with some members of staff calling him a ‘hindrance and a pain’.

This prompted locals to boycott the store, and Pumpkin’s story has been featured on the national news a number of times, with thousands of people calling for justice for the ousted moggy.

Thankfully for those brave feline freedom fighters, Pumpkin has decided he will not kowtow to needless rules and regulations, and pictures have emerged of him back at Tesco, lounging on the tills as is his wont.

Justice for Pumpkin
One of the new pictures of Pumpkin flouting the law (Picture: Facebook/Annabel Fields)

Fresh pictures were shared of Pumpkin on his Facebook fan page, with one uploader saying how the cat had ‘not a care in the world’ as he stared right into the face of danger (staff who might gently shoo him out).

The fact that he’s back is likely because – after a petition of 2,000 people to rescind Pumpkin’s ban – Tesco spokespeople made a statement claiming that it was physically impossible to effectively stop him entering the shop.

Well, especially not with Pumpkin’s nimble paws, anyway.

Pumpkin-spotting became something of a pastime for people visiting Drayton, with numerous sightings reported.

Pumpkin the cat in the bagging area. Pumpkin the cat has inspired a boycott among locals of Acres Way Tesco Express in Drayton, Norwich, after bosses banned the friendly feline from the store after he became a regular visitor to the supermarket. See SWNS story SWCActa. Pet-loving shoppers are boycotting a Tesco express store after bosses banned a friendly cat who had become a regular visitor there, Pumpkin the ginger tom is known for regularly strolling into the store and having a snooze on some of the tills and has become a big hit with customers. But store chiefs have now banned the popular moggy from setting up home saying it is 'not Tesco policy.' Store leader, Andrew Tabiner, 49, said the cat was "banned" with some members of staff calling him a "hindrance and a pain".
He’s back, and he’s inforcing the 10p bag rule (Picture: Jo Harding/SWNS)

Due to his fame, his owner Lee (who Pumpkin lives with along with his wife Jo, their daughter Abbie and granddaughter Amelia, seven other cats and a dog) said that the family rarely see him before 11am when the Tesco shop shuts.

Others have noted that Pumpkin loves the attention so much that he’s not shy about getting in people’s cars or jumping in their windows, which has prompted Jo and Lee to put a GPS tracker on him so he doesn’t get lost.

‘Every summer Pumpkin started running into my house,’ said one person.

Pumpkin the cat outside the Tesco Express. Pumpkin the cat has inspired a boycott among locals of Acres Way Tesco Express in Drayton, Norwich, after bosses banned the friendly feline from the store after he became a regular visitor to the supermarket. See SWNS story SWCActa. Pet-loving shoppers are boycotting a Tesco express store after bosses banned a friendly cat who had become a regular visitor there, Pumpkin the ginger tom is known for regularly strolling into the store and having a snooze on some of the tills and has become a big hit with customers. But store chiefs have now banned the popular moggy from setting up home saying it is 'not Tesco policy.' Store leader, Andrew Tabiner, 49, said the cat was "banned" with some members of staff calling him a "hindrance and a pain".
He’s also been known to frequent other shops and homes locally (Picture: Jo Harding /SWNS.COM)

‘He’s a hard cat to persuade to leave, like grease lightning when you throw a treat to lure him outside.’

Jo isn’t too worried about Pumpkin’s newfound rise to fame, though, and said that Pumpkin is delighted by all his fans that have accumulated since the ban.

‘He’s got followers from the USA, Canada and Norway,’ she told us.

‘I have no idea how it’s reached that far! People were saying they were boycotting Tesco, it’s just gone a bit mental.’

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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/01/28/pumpkin-norwich-cat-banned-tesco-defied-rules-back-checkout-12137375/
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