Longtime White Settlement library cat who became famous worldwide dies
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- White Settlement library cat Browser died of natural causes at 15.
- Browser survived a 2016 eviction attempt after community backlash and media coverage.
- The library plans a Sept. 18 memorial and asks for donations to honor Browser’s legacy.
Browser, the gray-striped cat who roamed the stacks and made friends with patrons at the White Settlement Public Library for nearly two decades, has died. He was 15 years old.
The City of White Settlement and the library announced the cat’s passing Wednesday, Sept. 3 on Facebook. He died of natural causes, just shy of his 16th birthday.
“Browser brought delight to patrons and employees over the past decade and a half with his playful and curious nature, often cozying up to people while they read and worked,” the Facebook post reads. “Some of his favorite activities included riding the book return cart while employees returned books to the shelves, stealing the Library Manager’s seat any time she got up, watching bird videos, and hanging with the crafting club any time they met.”
Browser also sat in on so many GED classes at the library that the course instructor gave him an honorary GED, according to the Facebook post.
“On behalf of the entire Library staff past and present, we would like to thank all who went out of their way to visit Browser, play with him, and remind him how good of a boy he was. He lived a full and joyful life that was filled with friends,” the Facebook post reads.
Browser’s history at the White Settlement library
Browser joined the White Settlement Public Library in 2010 when he was just a year old. Librarians adopted Browser to be their library cat after hearing the story of Dewey Readmore Books, an Iowa library cat who had a book written about him.
However, some people in White Settlement didn’t like Browser’s library tenure.
The White Settlement City Council, led by Council Members Elzie Clements and Paul Moore, voted to evict Browser from the library in June 2016, according to past Star-Telegram reporting. The vote was covered by news outlets as far away as Britain, India, Australia and the United Arab Emirates. Browser’s eviction was reversed a month later when the council held another vote, led by Clements, who faced backlash on social media and from the White Settlement community.
Clements later lost every precinct in the November 2016 city council election to challenger Evelyn J. Spurlock and drew 43 percent of the vote.
After Browser was allowed back in the library, Clements said in his last meeting as councilman in December 2016 that he wanted the council to reinstate a ban on animals in city buildings. Then-Mayor Ronald White ignored him. Browser was allowed to stay, supported entirely by donations and fundraisers.
“I’m more concerned about the clawing and scratching at City Hall,” the Star-Telegram’s Bud Kennedy wrote at the time.
How you can honor Browser the library cat
The White Settlement Public Library will host a memorial event for Browser on Thursday, Sept. 18, from 3:30-5:30 p.m. at 8215 White Settlement Road.
“This come-and-go gathering will be a time to share memories, look through photos, and celebrate the joy Browser brought to our library and community for fifteen wonderful years,” the library wrote.
For those who want to honor Browser’s memory with a donation, the library encourages giving to its partner organization, Don’t Forget To Feed Me. The organization is a non-profit that ensures pet owners have enough food to feed their animals. Donors can drop food off directly at the library or donate money online.
Folks can also give in-person to The Friends of the White Settlement Public Library organization, volunteer non-profit group that gives assistance to the library.
