Book reveals Conrad calico's sweet life

Sweetiepie, a dark brown and orange tortoise-shell calico cat, lives in a mansion in Kalispell with a large staff at her beck and call.

Sounds like a good children's book. That's what Mike Kofford thought.

As the executive director of the Conrad Mansion, Kofford noticed visitors were as interested in the Conrad's resident cat as they were in its purported ghosts. His observation inspired a new booklet called "The Conrad Cat" as relayed by Sweetiepie to Kofford and illustrated by graphic artist Miriam Emerson.

"The writing part was just jotting down little episodes of my day with her - like her coming up every morning and sniffing my coffee cup while I'm unlocking the back door," he said. "Just those little simple moments that make up a whole day or a whole year of her being here."

Sweetiepie's reign as first feline of the Conrad predates Kofford's employment that started two years ago. He referred questions about her history to Margot Jaumotte, assistant manager and the longest-term employee with 17 years at the Conrad Mansion.

According to Jaumotte, Sweetiepie showed up more than six years ago. She wandered in from the area of Heritage Park across the street from the mansion.

"She was a kitten. Our gardener Jeff Evans watched her eating grass hoppers and playing with butterflies," Jaumotte said. "Our director at the time, Kate Daniels, decided we needed to adopt her."

Volunteer Nikki Sliter offered to sponsor the Conrad cat, paying for veterinary bills.

The kitten officially was named Alicia, in honor of the other Conrad women who held that name. Over time, her endearing personality brought about her nickname.

"She's the sweetest little thing," Jaumotte said. "Sweetiepie just kind of stuck."

According to Jaumotte, Sweetiepie sharpens her claws on her cat condo, not the furniture in the mansion. She described Sweetiepie as very respectful of the antiques.

She stays off most of the furniture with one irresistible exception.

"Once in a while we'll find her asleep in one of the beds upstairs," she said with a laugh.

Jaumotte said the cat provides a lot of company, helping with the paperwork by rolling around on top of it. She has an inside bed on a desk in the executive director's office.

Kofford said he knew a cat and office bed came with his job. He said it took a little time to get to know her.

Over the first winter, he said she was close to the only other living being with him in the office. Sweetiepie stays in the office during cold winter days.

"You get to know even the personality of an animal in that situation," he said. "She's very friendly but she will get to a saturation point where it's, ‘Nope. I've had enough. I'm not being petted any more today.'"

His booklet details how the gardener made her a heated bed on the back porch off the kitchen. The mansion's handiwoman made Sweetiepie her own secret door with a plaque labeled "Conrad cat."

Although usually not allowed in the main house, the cat sometimes puts in a shift in the basement when the mice start looking for warm shelter.

Sweetiepie has no problem scaring mice away as she details in the new booklet: "Those naughty mice better beware, because I'm fast and I know all the corners (where) they meet for tea and cheese."

When the thermometer drops to freezing, Sweetiepie has learned how to scoot through Kofford's legs to get inside as he unlocks the door. She gets a little scolding when she sets off the laser alarm with her tail.

As an evasive move, the swift cat has learned to fly up the stairs. Kofford said the staff almost has to give up when she gets to the third floor.

Jaumotte agreed.

"There are nooks and crannies up there where she watches us hunting for her," she said.

Sweetiepie does more than just lay around the mansion. Kofford said she has a job greeting guests at the front door when they come for tours.

She receives compensation in treats stored on the porch.

"She'll often follow guests around the grounds," he said. "Most days, you'll see her sunning herself out by those big pots that usually have flowers in them all summer."

A sign now explains that Sweetiepie lives at the Conrad after an incident last summer where she disappeared for two weeks. Kofford said they believe someone mistook her for a stray and adopted her.

He figures that the misguided rescuer opened the door once and Sweetiepie raced out and back to her luxurious mansion and attentive hosts.

"I love that, as soon as she got back, she was right back on the job again," Kofford said. "She'll sit right at that spot as everyone comes up to take a tour."

History has a precedent for a cat at the Conrad Mansion. Book sources have said that the youngest daughter Alicia had up to 13 cats when she was a little girl.

Kofford speculates that she may not have had as many friends as children living in the neighborhoods. She lived in this big house that may have seemed scary to other children.

"So the cats were really kind of her playmates," he said. "There would have been cats running all over this place in the 1900s. I don't know if any of them were calico but I like to think they were."

People may purchase the children's booklet in the Conrad Mansion gift shop for $5. Proceeds go to support the mansion's maintenance.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.