Amid the stacks at the Long Ear record store in Coeur d'Alene, you'll find the usual fare: used Neil Young records, shiny new Taylor Swift releases, hundreds of CDs and plenty of groovy trinkets.
But, if you're lucky, sometimes you'll be greeted by an adorable, furry face betwixt the vintage discs. That would be Major Tom, the Long Ear's store cat.
Named for a character in the opening line of David Bowie's iconic song "Space Oddity," Major Tom was rescued by longtime Long Ear employee Ben Schoelen just over a year ago.
"We found him behind my house," Schoelen says. "There are a lot of stray cats in my neighborhood up in Garwood. He was a kitten, teeny tiny, and we happened to become well-versed in cat trapping to give them to the local shelter."
Schoelen managed to corral Major Tom and his mother. He found a home for Tom's mom but struggled to find one for the kitten.
"We tried a few different places," he says. "But he eventually just kind of ended up [here]."
Now, Major Tom lives full time at the record store, where he has his very own kitty digs in the back room and plenty of cozy spots throughout the store to cat nap as he pleases.
The Long Ear's employees are no strangers to having a store cat. Before Major Tom, there was Boots, a beloved grey cat named so for her all-white feet.
Boots lived at the shop for several years after being adopted from the Kootenai Humane Society. She even moved locations with the store and was featured on plenty of Long Ear merch, including T-shirts and slipmats. Her death in March 2023 was an emotional time for owners Terry and Deon Borchard and all the staff who spent most of their days working alongside Boots.
Both Schoelen and Nic Fritze, another longtime Long Ear employee, mention that Major Tom's personality is a complete 180 from Boots, who had a sweet, agreeable disposition. When Major Tom isn't chilling in the path of a warm sunbeam or napping in one of his many cozy beds, he's often running amok and causing chaos.
"He has been on every case, and he's knocked over quite a few of our displays," Schoelen says. "He hasn't broken as much product as I expected him to, but he loves to get in the cases. I've accidentally locked him in a case before without realizing he snuck in there underneath me. He's a little too curious for his own good. He will be damned if we don't let him get in the trash can, especially if we throw something he thinks is interesting in there."
"He did climb a ladder once," Fritze adds. "He made it to the attic."
Major Tom loves to lure customers by lying on his back and exposing his soft tummy, which Fritze and Schoelen stress is a devious trap — he will swat at anyone who tries to indulge in some belly rubs.
While there are often cat toys scattered around the sales floor, they're mostly ignored by the intended audience.
"Out of all the toys we get him, ballpoint pens are his favorite," Fritze says. "He really loves pens."
Despite his spicy side, Schoelen and Fritze say Tom is a true joy to have around the store for customers and employees alike, and that the feline even gets along with kids.
"He loves to greet customers at the door," Schoelen says. "He comes to the counter to greet customers, too. He knows exactly where pets are going to come from and the most active points to get attention."
Just like the man who penned his namesake song, Major Tom is confident, quirky and widely loved.
"I could see him being an astronaut," Schoelen says.
"He even has the Bowie zig-zag stripes," Fritze adds.
Next time you're in the Long Ear searching for some new vinyl to add to your collection, make sure to shout "Can you hear me, Major Tom?" and dole out some pets to the ever-feisty, but always loving, Major Tom. ♦
