Not long after JD and Steph took over the General Store, a rescue cat arrived from Emerald Vet. Bugs had kittens and was waiting for a home.

She started out as a stray, but the Davey boys quickly won her over. Before long, the wider community had adopted her too—one daily pat at a time.

BUGS has long been a nickname for the General Store. It suited her perfectly—and her grey-and-white colouring also reminded everyone of Bugs Bunny.

So the newest member of the business had a name, a home and, very quickly, a devoted local following.

Today Bugs lives in the barn and spends her working day doing what she does best: finding sunny spots, collecting pats and keeping a close eye on anything that might sample the stockfeed or pet food.

She knows the Barnyard better than anyone—and if a sneaky mouse tries to move in, Bugs is already on the watch.

Some mornings Bugs sneaks up to the café to say hello. Right on shop close, she waits patiently by the back door for the café team to lock her in and serve dinner.

She comes to JD’s whistle when called—and is especially partial to the occasional bacon or ham offcut from the café team.

Chug may be bright orange, but Bugs has seniority, local fame and a very strong case for the award.

The competition remains unresolved. Bugs believes the bacon and ham are performance incentives. Chug remains unconvinced.