New Startup "Natural Hot Box" gives new life and purpose to homeless kitties.
Philadelphia, PA
In economic slumps we often hear about the discomfort families must endure while learning to live with less. What is often overlooked is the homeless population of kitties running around Philadelphia streets.
Young CEO Jeffery Whitehead of the new startup company "Natural Hot Box" hopes to change all that with his new army of "Pizza Box Warmers".
Jeffery tells us, " I was on a park bench outside the court house one day and saw this orange tabby sitting on top of a man hole cover. I happened to be eating double pepperoni & onion pizza pie at the time. Then this light bulb went off and I got the idea for the startup!" Whitehead struck up a partnership with the manhole cat named "Rose".
Natural Hot Box's downtown headquarters houses about 300 felines now. They are all kept in good health and up to date on shots. The kitties are leased out to local pizza shops with long delivery runs. Whitehead explains to us, "A cat will spend 17 hours per day asleep. During that sleep cycle they need to find a warm spot like a man hole cover. That's when I got the idea to replace the normal plastic pizza bags with cats. The heat from the pizza and cat reciprocate each other. It's a win win situation."
The original Natural Hot Box employee, Rose.
Credit: AngelCatHaven.com
The new startup doesn't come without some public disapproval. The Everdale Plastics Union lodged a complaint with city counsel over lost jobs because of reduced demand of vinyl "pizza sleeves". Janet Davidson, who works the assembly line tells us, "I had to go back to part time because cat labor is cheap. Those kitties will work for balls of yarn and string. I'm having trouble feeding my own kids."
We asked Whitehead if he was violating any ethics laws and his reply was, "The Kitties get a roof over their head and a mouse each night after work. It's not a great life but it beats living in the streets."
We tried to catch up with some customers of the local Pizza Parlor "Enricos" who uses the Natural Hot Box service. Local patron Barry Thomson explains, "Those vinyl pizza sleeves are not worth a damn. I live out near Amish country and the cat warmers keep the pizza piping hot right up to the door." Another patron, Nicole West says, "I don't mind at all. In fact I offered to adopt the black tom cat that came with my Hawaiian Pizza last week. The owner should start integrating adoption programs into the pizza delivery."
Pizza delivery men who are used to being robbed on occasion also like the extra company. Local driver Wes recounts a day when he was saved from a robbery by the startled Hot Box cat. He says, "That cat woke up like a helicopter and tore the robber's eye right out of its socket!"
Asked if Jeffery would be expanding he said, "We have plans to network into Atlanta, New York and Phoenix before the end of 2013."
-Eliot West Said It.