“My husband and I started Wayward Whiskers in 2015, so we had this non-profit rescue for a number of years. We visited another cat cafe and we thought what a great idea, it’s perfect: coffee and cats,” said Katelynn Jones, the owner of the recently opened cafe in Greensburg.
The Cattfeinated Cat Cafe recently opened up on Nov. 29. “We’ve been very well received because I think in our area we don’t really get new and trendy things. We always seem to be the last ones to get that, so it’s kind of cool that our smaller size town gets a place like this,” Jones said.
When you first walk into the cafe, the love for cats is very obvious, from the names of the drinks that you can order to the cat-ique, where you can buy local art pieces.
If you purchase something from the cat-ique, 30% of the proceeds go towards Wayward Whiskers, along with the fee to go in to play with that cats, which ranges from $3-7.
Wayward Whiskers is the largest non-profit rescue in Westmoreland County, ran out of 12-15 different foster homes. There are currently about 200 cats in their care.
“It doesn’t feel like a job,” said cafe employee Bailey Boehame. “I wake up everyday and I am excited to do something good and something enjoyable.”
There are about 10 employees in total, and about 30 volunteers.
“My favorite part about this job is being able to watch the cats all day. The kittens can go a little crazy and it’s fun to watch,” Boehame said.
“Mostly we volunteers just make sure that everyone is following the rules, that the cats are comfortable and that the litter boxes are okay,” said Ginette Simpson, who is a volunteer at the cat cafe.
Simpson for many years had her own cats, who had recently passed away. “It’s nice to be able to interact with the cats and not have to deal with all the issues of owning a cat. It’s like having grandkids; they’re fun to see and hang out with, but when you’ve had enough, you send them home.”
“It gives people a release to come here. It’s just a place for them to sit down, relax, drink a cup of coffee and hang out with some cats. I’ve noticed over the past week a lot of people come over on their lunch break to hang out with us and the cats,” Simpson said.
The rooms to play with the cats are split up: one for kittens and one for adults. It does cost a few dollars to play with the cats: an hour costs $7. When you first enter the room, you have to take your shoes off due to all the bacteria and dirt on them. From there on, you are allowed to sit and play with the cats.
All cats that are in the rooms are up for adoption. They are available for through Wayward Whiskers through an application that goes through an approval community. This is to make sure that the applicant is the best person for the cat, and if approved, then they will contact you.
The adoption process does take a few days due to the fact that Wayward Whiskers does not want anyone to make any rash decisions; they want to make sure that the applicant is ready to adopt. Adoption fees included $100 for one cat, or $160 for two.
Published by Caitlin Srager