Meet Pinch — Bristol’s New Brewery Cat

This little cutie was rescued outside Vigilant Brewing Company in Bristol and is making the most of her nine lives.

October 24, 2024

Lauren Clem,

A gray kitten peeks out from a fuzzy white cat bed.

Pinch was recently rescued outside Vigilant Brewing Company in Bristol. (Photo courtesy of Vigilant Brewing Company)

They say cats have nine lives, and this kitten got one of hers back recently thanks to the employees of Vigilant Brewing Company and a neighboring business in Bristol.

Erik Perry is the production manager at RGP Dental, an ergonomic chair company that shares an owner (and a building) with Vigilant Brewing Company. On Wednesday, Oct. 2, he was in the businesses’ shared parking lot when he heard a meow he couldn’t quite locate.

“I figured there were cats around. And then I hear the same cry in the same exact spot again, and I’m curious what’s going on,” he says.

The following day, employees of both businesses set out to find the source of the noise. Eventually, Perry was able to trace the meow beneath a storage container, where a young kitten had become trapped. The kitten’s right front paw was pinched between the bottom of the container and a wooden post it rested on. Two hours, six people and one forklift later, Pinch — as the rescue team named the kitten — was free.

Skittish after her long ordeal, Pinch initially avoided the rescuers, until Vigilant primary owner Kevin Amaral played a YouTube video of cat noises on his phone. The ruse worked, and they were able to trap Pinch in a beer box and give her food and water. Amaral reached out to Bristol Animal Control, but after learning the kitten would be put up for adoption, the team decided to care for Pinch themselves. They took her to Warren Animal Hospital to receive treatment for her swollen front paw.

“There was an instant connection, obviously,” Amaral says. “This cat’s staying here.”

In the weeks since, Pinch has embraced her role as brewery cat. By day, she hangs out with the staff at RGP Dental, and in the evenings she spends time at the brewery, where she’s become an instant favorite among bar staff and customers. At night, Amaral takes her home to his family, where his Labradoodle, Laci, has adopted a mothering role.

A gray kitten wearing a T-shirt that says "Vigilant Brewing Company."

Pinch rocking her Vigilant Brewing Company T-shirt. (Photo by Lauren Clem)

“She’s getting pampered,” he says. “Our goal is to have her in this building — in the office, in the brewery. She’ll always have people around.”

Staff believe Pinch is part of a stray litter of kittens they’ve seen hanging around the neighborhood. In the days since, they’ve tried to trap her three siblings and mother, but have not been successful. If trapped, they plan to turn the litter over to Bristol Animal Control for adoption.

Despite her injuries, a veterinarian says Pinch will likely regain use of her arm and paw. Amaral hopes to hold a fundraiser for the Friends of the Bristol Animal Shelter to raise awareness of the shelter and its volunteers. The volunteer-run group is hoping to buy a new washer and dryer for the shelter, and the team at Vigilant plans to put out a donation box to support them. Though he’s allergic to cats and initially had no plans to adopt one, Amaral says the newfound mascot has won all of their hearts.

“There might be a beer in the tank right now that’s called Pinch’s Pilsner,” he says.

In an unexpected twist, Pinch may also have a companion in the office soon. Last week, RGP Dental Sales Manager Jason DeCosta was visiting family in New Jersey with his wife when they spotted a kitten. The kitten ran off, so they were surprised a couple days later when they heard a meow coming from their vehicle back in Rhode Island. The kitten, it turns out, had climbed into the engine compartment and stayed there for the drive home from New Jersey. They named the new rescue “Jersey Girl” and shared the story with friends and coworkers.

“Maybe the universe is telling us something,” Amaral says.