He snacks a lot…

He gets distracted easily…

He tends to sometimes sleep on the job…

But despite it all, South Charleston’s cat cop could be the biggest hit of the department.

Debra Sulter works at the front desk for the South Charleston Police Department. She said, “We love him. We don’t know what we’d do without him now.”

Sochas, who is very aptly named, grew up on the streets. Until last year, he hung out outside of the station, finding scraps of food where he could. That way of life? Well, it didn’t last long.

“The chief decided he was going to be our station cat,” Sutler said.

That was the moment that changed it all. After a quick neuter and round of shots, Sochas was ready to get to work.

Okay, look, I’ll be honest. Sochas really loves a long cat nap and cuddles. Police work? He leaves that to the pros.

Sulter said, “We don’t let him back with the prisoners, but he stays around the front and every time someone comes in, he has to come in and interview him, himself.”

It’s safe to say that the South Charleston Police Department is definitely pet friendly. Inside of this station, this cat is so much more than just a cat.

“A lot of the officers have told me that when they’ve been out on nightshift and maybe had a bad call, they’ve come in and sat down with him and petted him and played around with him a little bit,” Sulter said. “They feel a little bit better afterwards. He’s our therapy cat.”

An important job, no doubt. Sochas also makes it a bit easier for a victim to tell their story to police. “It calms them down a little bit,” she said.

Call it a success story. Call it community outreach.

“He’s one less cat that went to the shelter and one less cat on the streets,” Sutler said.

No matter what you call it, those who work at the department will tell you they need this cute recruit just as much as he needs them.

Sulter added that the key to managing pet overpopulation is spay and neuter. For a list of low-cost options in your area, click here.