He trots up to greet you as you step out of your car at Wareham's Water Pollution Control Facility. He'll stare at you with his big yellow eyes, and if you reach down to scratch him behind the ears, he'll probably follow you inside.

His name is Cracker Jack, C.J. for short, and the facility's administration building is his home.

"He's got quite the personality," said David Simmons, superintendent of the facility and owner of the affectionate gray-and-white feline.

Simmons found C.J. and his brother, Moose, on his way into work at the wastewater treatment plant in Coventry, Conn., during the fall of 1998.

"Someone stuck them in a cardboard box outside the gate," Simmons said.

He took the cats home with the intention of finding them a place to live, but "they just settled right in" with his dogs and other cats, Simmons said. Moose passed away a few years ago.

C.J. got his name from his love of people-food. Simmons was eating a bowl of Cracker Jacks shortly after bringing the cats home when C.J. decided he'd like some too.

"He [stuck] his head right in the bowl and start[ed] mowing down," Simmons said.

In 2001, after Simmons began working in Wareham, C.J. began having behavioral problems at home. Simmons said he guessed that C.J. was suddenly having territorial issues with the other animals.

"I thought, 'I'll just take him to work to see what happens'," Simmons said.

The employees who worked in the administration building at the time had no problem with their new, feline co-worker.

"They loved him, they had a great time with him," Simmons said.

And the people who work there now? "They took to him," Simmons said. "He's spoiled."

"It's nice to have a mascot," said Phil Vary, a wastewater operator.

Assistant Superintendent Dan Meadows agreed. "It was pretty hard not to warm up to him because he's such a likeable cat," he said. "He's not too demanding. . . except for attention."

C.J.'s behavioral problems stopped once he arrived at the facility, and he's been happy ever since.

"He's the only cat. He's the boss," Simmons said.

C.J. loves to run around outside the facility, Simmons said. He is in and out of the building all day during good weather.

When the facility underwent an upgrade from 2003 to 2005, C.J. had a great time watching the construction workers.

"He was pretty savvy" around the equipment, Simmons said. C.J. watched from afar and didn't get too close to the action.

Inside the building, one of C.J.'s favorite places is the conference room. He likes to attend meetings, Simmons said. He jumps on the table, lounges on papers, and plays with people's pens when they're not paying attention. He's even jumped and pulled on the door handle to get the door open if he knows people are inside, Simmons said.

Simmons said that visitors generally don't mind C.J. being around. If allergies are an issue, the employees make sure he stays in a separate room.

"He's become a fixture," Simmons said. "When people come back, they don't ask for me, they ask for him."