He effectively dealt with the library's rodent problem, said Lillian Blackburn, president of the Friends of the White Settlement Public Library.

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He's a favorite among the youngest patrons, who Blackburn said sometimes pick out books and read to the cat.

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Plus, Blackburn said she has a knitting and crocheting class on Tuesdays, and Browser doesn't mess around with the yarn, really.

"Which is a little unusual," Blackburn told The Washington Post in a phone interview.

So, basically, Browser sounds like he's exactly what you'd want from a cat employee. He doesn't even seem particularly rude and/or aloof, which feels somewhat notable, because … you know … cats.

"He's just like, I hate to say it this way, one of the family, you know?" Blackburn said. "People come in looking for the cat. They want to see him and they want to pet him. He's the most gentle cat I've ever seen."

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"People just can't understand why this little city outside of Fort Worth, Texas, has decided to do this to a poor cat in the library," White Settlement Mayor Ronald A. White told The Post. "I think it's a shame. I am embarrassed and saddened that our city council took it upon themselves to deliberate whether or not a cat should be in the library. I think it's ridiculous."

It is a little unclear about how the item — "Discuss and consider relocation of Library Facility cat 'Browser'" — was added to the council's June 14 agenda.

White called it a "mystery" that the issue was taken up in the first place, and said he's been told it had to do with allergy complaints, but that didn't really make sense to him. The library, he noted, already served a family that deals with allergies, so there are plans in place for those kind of things.

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(There's also chatter about a puppy or something, which is sort of confusing, so you know what? Just read about it here. Who even knows, man.)

"I said what the hell are these people trying to do now?" White said, describing his thoughts when he learned the matter would be discussed. "I did not understand it. Why is this on the agenda? What's the reason for this?"

The Grizzly Detail newspaper reported that the two council members who voted to oust the cat included Elzie Clements, who said city hall and other city business operations were "no place for animals." Just FYI, he's up for reelection this year.

“I probably just doomed my fate,” Clements said at the meeting, according to the Detail.

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Clements did not immediately return an email from The Post.

Browser was given 30 days to find a new home, which Blackburn said shouldn't be a problem, though she deemed it a lousy outcome for a cat that has only known a somewhat charmed library life.

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"He's just a precious cat. And that is his home," Blackburn said. "And it seems very, very cruel to remove him from it, after all these years."

But wait! This isn't over yet. The Council is scheduled to meet again Friday, according to an agenda posted on the city's website. The only business listed: "Discuss and consider relocation of Library Facility cat 'Browser'." Hey! That sounds familiar.

"Hopefully, they'll see the light," said White, who had planned to bring up the matter again, at a future meeting. "If they don't, well, there's always election time."