A Philadelphia animal shelter is giving unadoptable cats a second chance, finding them jobs as pest controllers at warehouses and factories.

The "Working Cats" programme started four years ago at the Animal Care and Control Team shelter, placing the biters and the skittish at barns and stables to work as mousers.

A number of cities around the country have working cat programmes, many focused on feral animals. At one Philadelphia beer store, Gary the cat was recruited to deal with the mice that were destroying the snack aisle. Now, he has become completely socialised and is a customer favourite.

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