By Gabriela Resto-Montero
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
UPPER EAST SIDE — If 7-year-old BeBe has trouble remembering he's a cat, it's not his fault. That tends to happen when you're the only feline in a world full of dogs.
BeBe, an old rescue animal, is famous in the Upper East Side for boldly residing at Canine Styles, a dog grooming and accessories business at the corner of Lexington Avenue and E. 63rd Street.
"He acts more like a dog than a cat," said Carissa Bodden, manager of the Upper East Side location, of BeBe.
Despite BeBe's ease with most dogs, he has a hiding spot scoped out behind the window display — just in case.
"He knows once he wiggles through that little space, they can't get to him," Bodden said.
As Canine Styles has expanded to other Manhattan locations, they've made a tradition of having old rescue cats mind the store.
The West Village branch of Canine Styles, located at 59 Greenwich Ave., is home to Sharkie, a gray cat with white paws. A 7-year-old Belgian named Clive greets
visiting dogs at the uptown branch at 1195 Lexington Ave. near E. 82nd streets.
Store manager Karen Zablam said Clive has a laid-back approach to the constant parade of dogs.
"He doesn't care," Zablam said, adding that some owners come to the store specifically so that their dogs can play with Clive.
Clive can usually be found keeping his cool at the store's east-facing window, where he's known for taking epic naps. On Monday, as Clive was taking one such siesta, several passersby wondered if he was part of the display.
Canine Styles is set to open a fourth location next month, on the Upper West Side at 2231 Broadway between W. 79th and W. 80th streets.
Owners Mark Drendel and Chad Conway have yet to pick out a rescue cat for the branch, but rest assured they're working on it.
