Nutmeg, the Ginger Tabby and ‘Unofficial Mayor of Sellwood,’ Has Died

Nutmeg, the ginger tabby who was christened by neighbors “the unofficial Mayor of Sellwood” after becoming a regular at the Southeast 17th and Tacoma CVS this winter, died Saturday.

His death was announced on Facebook by Nutmeg’s owner, Gabi Moore, and previously reported by The Oregonian.

“He led a beautiful, full life, and he’ll forever be remembered by so many people who got to know him and love him,” Moore wrote in a post announcing his passing.

In February Willamette Week listed Nutmeg as one of our 26 Reasons to Love Portland (“The Unofficial Mayor of Sellwood Is an Elderly Orange Cat,” WW, February 11). At the time we reported that Nutmeg was 14 years old, but his owners later conferred with Nutmeg’s previous owners and discovered he was older than they thought—close to 19. The average lifespan of a housecat is 13 to 17 years, according to PetMD, with indoor-only cats generally living longer than their outdoor counterparts.

But Nutmeg was an outlier in many regards.

A large, longhaired ginger cat previously known as Eddie, Nutmeg was born under a trailer in Boone County, West Virginia, and later relocated to Centralia, Wash. He’d been living in Sellwood with Joe and Gabi Moore for about a year when WW first reported on his nightly visits to the drugstore half a block from the couple’s home.

At that time, he’d been a regular at the store for several months, first lingering in the parking lot and—once he figured out how the automatic doors worked—entering the store itself. Despite a few mishaps (including the theft of a bag of treats and a trip into the pharmacy area that triggered a security alarm), store staff embraced him, feeding him onsite and setting up a blanket for him behind the checkout counter.

Staff told the newspaper he usually wandered in in the evening and stuck around until closing, at which point Joe Moore arrived to collect him and carry him home. The Moores, whose attempts to contain Nutmeg’s wandering ways had not been successful, were relieved he had found a safe place to spend his time. They also outfitted him with an AirTag so they could safely monitor his travels.

Customers, staff and even security at CVS loved him. Most of them, anyway.

In May, Nutmeg was the subject of a complaint to CVS’ corporate office. The Oregonian reported that, legally, pets (other than service animals) are not allowed inside establishments that sell food, including drugstores. Neighbors petitioned to keep Nutmeg at the store, but the petition was pulled.

The Moores did not immediately respond to a request for comment but are planning a memorial for the cat in a few weeks.