Daniel (bottom) and Bigfoot living their best lives at Shoppers True Value in South Portland. Instagram photo courtesy of Shoppers True Value

Living your best life is easy when you have nine of them to spare.

No one proves that more than this pair of well-employed shop cats, named Daniel and Bigfoot. The TikTok and Instagram stars reside at Shoppers True Value in South Portland, and some people come in just to see them, even if they don’t need tools, plumbing parts or paint.

Imagine a life of long naps, big stretches, random snacking, posing for photos and videos, frequent neck and belly scratches, and dressing up in bow ties and other accessories.

That’s the job description of these fairly famous felines whose lives are documented on TikTok (shoppers_hardware). Shoppers True Value also is on Instagram (Shoppers Hardware), but for the best cat content, TikTok’s the place to go.

Store manager Lauren Springer adds a layer of hilarity to some of the posts, with her narration about the cats’ antics.

Several TikTok clips contain music and movie audio that are all well chosen and quite funny. A scene featuring Daniel trying to sleep and Bigfoot looking ready for the runway is set to the sax line from “Careless Whisper.” 

@shoppers_hardware Nap time? #shopcat #shoppershardware #catsoftiktok #shopcats #coworkersbelike #judgmentaldaniel @Daniel & Lauren ♬ Careless Whisper – Justin Grey

Another TikTok clip showing Bigfoot and Daniel napping in cardboard boxes also features a line from “Shawshank Redemption”: “I don’t think I can make it on the outside, Andy.”

Daniel was hired in February of 2022 when he was 4 years old. Despite not having a resume, his co-workers were confident he’d fit right in. About a year later, Bigfoot joined the Shoppers True Value family.

So far, the fact that buttons and stickers of Daniel and Bigfoot are sold at the register hasn’t gone to their fluffy heads.

Both cats can usually be found snoozing comfortably in beds by the register, paint department and several other spots where they like to curl up. But if you don’t live in the Mill Creek area of South Portland, head to TikTok or Instagram because every post about Daniel and Bigfoot is either adorable or hilarious, and often both.