I wonder if he helps deal with vermin at all? Not all cats are born suited to that, but I'd imagine a cat born and raised in a junkyard would have had a lot of time to fuck up some mice, maybe some birds. Besides that- it's actually a neat little trick to use on customers. Their first experience with your store- an adorable cat runs out to them, meows (a "meow" is actually almost identical in pitch to a human infant's cry- some believe that cats developed the meow because of this) and acts all friendly... most customers are going to walk in the door with a huge grin on their face. Their wallet has been successfully loosened just a little bit by merely the presence of a cat. Put a man or a woman in a good mood, and they'll spend more money. They'll also be more likely to come back, if their first and last experience in their shopping at your location was pleasant. None of that shit in between really matters, according to market research- they can have the shittiest time shopping in your store, but as long as you make them happy when *entering* and *leaving* they will come back.