On Sunday morning, more than 150 eager cat-lovers from across Philly and even New Jersey flocked in droves to the grand opening of “Le Cat Cafe” in Brewerytown to enjoy coffees while meeting cats who are available for adoption.
“Without cats, I’m only one-fourth of myself,” sad Caroline Graybill, 21, a senior airman stationed at McGuire Air Force Base in Burlington County. She grew up with cats, but isn’t allowed to have one in the barracks.
“It’s just nice being able to come and pet cats,” she said.
Le Cat Cafe is an all-volunteer operation which grew out of Green Street Rescue, which is a cat rescue charity based in the Fairmount area that rescues cats and then offers them for adoption from locations such as the window of nearby Fairmount Pet Shoppe. In 2016 alone, the rescue has saved 80 cats and adopted out 40.
Now, they have an entire cafe of their own to introduce cats to potential adopters while they play on custom-made cat trees and toys and hunt around tables while guests sip tasty coffees.
“I’m hopeful for the cats,” said Kathy Jordan, the founder of Green Street Rescue and Le Cat Cafe, who said she cooked up the idea after hearing about similar spots opening in San Francisco and New York.
Since then, Jordan has been actively looking for an ample storefront where the idea would work. She recently found it on Brewerytown’s rapidly developing West Girard Avenue.
“It’s the new adoption platform for cats,” Jordan said. “If you take a cat and put them in a cafe-type setting, they’re in a much more natural environment.They’re sitting in your lap, they’re playing with a toy. You have a better idea of that cat’s personality.”
Like Green Street Rescue, Le Cat Cafe’s mission is to adopt out cats to its customers, who for a $12 fee ($10 for students with ID, free for kids under 12) may lounge around meeting cats while enjoying a coffee from the K-cup machine (the first one comes with the entrance fee, additional coffees cost $1). All fees going toward keeping the lights on at Le Cat Cafe.
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