Customers of Rockin’ Rooster & Happy Hen in Rockmart – at both their previous and current location – will remember fondly the mascot of the shop, a cat named Bug, looking for adventures and friends amid naps and snacks.

Sadly the shop will now be without their mascot after he passed on Friday, July 22 unexpectedly.

Owner Helen Riley noted to Polk Today that they are unsure why Bug suddenly passed, but it might have involved medication used to prevent pests.

“We believe he had an adverse reaction to his flea medication,” Riley sent into Polk Today this past weekend. “I’m devastated and I have been overwhelmed by the love and support on Facebook.”

Bug has been featured several times on Polk Today, especially after he went missing one day after hopping into the back of a customer’s car. He was a fixture at the shop after he was adopted when he began hanging around the previous location on Piedmont Avenue across from city hall.

He was laid to rest in the yard outside of the shop, with a custom-painted headstone.

“Friday and Saturday at the shop we’re tough,” Riley posted on the shop’s facebook page on Monday. “So many young children came in and asked, “where’s Bugs”. I know it’s hard for them to understand. It’s hard for me to understand.”

Rockin’ Rooster & Happy Hen can be found in the red house on East Elm Street in Rockmart.