Millie the mill cat As guardian of the Old Mill and catcher of mice, this cat has a good life by ANNETTE JOYCE Located on N.C. 68 in Oak Ridge, the Old Mill of Guilford attracts a lot of visitors from near and far. Many come to purchase items from the 18th-century grist mill’s store, while others want to just look around and soak up the beauty of this historic site.
A 6-year-old calico, Millie has been a resident at the mill for most of her life. Amy Klug, owner of the property, said every mill has at least one mill cat to keep the mice away, and that’s Millie’s job.
Miller Annie Laura Perdue confirms the cat’s popularity.
“She’s a working cat,” Klug said. “Her job is to keep the mice outside of the mill. We take that very seriously, and have never had a problem.”
“We have a little woman who makes her son stop here every time they go down the road, just to see Millie,” Perdue said.
Of course, Millie also has other important responsibilities, such as greeting visitors and
Then, there are those who stop by for the sole purpose of visiting with their feline friend, Millie.
Photo by Annette Joyce/NWO
A gentle cat, Millie is the “queen” of the mill and welcomes the attention of all those who stop by – when she’s in the mood for being petted. “Anything a cat does, it does only when it wants to.” (Emily Neville, in “It’s Like this, Cat”)
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allowing them to pet her – when she feels like it.
“She’s the queen and she will let everyone know it,” Klug smiled. “She’ll lie down to be petted, and then she’ll be done and leave.”
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Millie enjoys being brushed and seems to actually get offended if it looks like this ritual might be
overlooked. Carola Schroeder, a longtime volunteer at the mill, has taken on the task of helping keep Millie’s fur shiny and sleek. “If you don’t brush her every day outside, she lets you know you haven’t done your job,” Schroeder said. For the most part, Millie spends her days roaming the 8-acre mill property. When it’s really hot, she stays underneath the main building’s front porch or down by the creek. Sometimes she can be found curled up in the coolness
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