Calling all cat-lovers!
Move over New York and L.A. Downtown Greenville will be getting its very own cat café later this year.
Organic Cat Café describes itself as a “meeting place for all cat lovers.” The café will be open 7 days a week with daily feeding times at 11:00 AM, 5:00 PM, and 9:00 PM with special reservations available during feeding hours. The cat café will feature its own population of friendly, free range cats that will wander about and lounge while you sip your favorite beverage. Of course, staff will be on hand as well to help you engage with the cats and to make your experience more enjoyable.
The world’s first cat café opened in Taiwan in 1998, but the idea was slow to take root in the United States, with the first cat cafés opening in New York and in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2013 to 2014. In the past three years; however, the concept has exploded with cafés dedicated to the celebration of all things feline popping up across the country. Now, you can hardly call yourself a big city if you don’t have at least a couple cat cafés to choose from! We’re glad Greenville has decided to jump on the bandwagon—and even more excited that the café is in the same neighborhood as
Ambassador Animal Hospital.
Why We Love This Idea
In addition to being trendy and cool, a cat café in downtown Greenville has many benefits for our community.
Gives a Loving Home to Rescue Cats
It is notoriously difficult to find homes for all of the
unwanted adult cats that fill our shelters. Like most of these establishments, the Organic Cat Café has formed a partnership with a local shelter, Animal Care, to find friendly, adult cats for the café—giving the cats a home in the process! Not only do these cats get to roam free in a home-like environment, they get plenty of human interaction as well. In addition, many cat cafés serve as adoption centers, taking in new cats from the shelter as they find forever homes for the cats at the coffee shop.
Gives Busy People Much-Needed Stress Relief
There are many studies that demonstrate the
benefits of owning a cat—from providing mental health benefits and protection from disease to boosting serotonin and reported levels of happiness and calm. Of course, not everyone’s lifestyle will accommodate a pet. Some cat lovers travel or work too much to make ownership a responsible choice, some have a spouse or children who are allergic, while some may be in school or live in an apartment that doesn’t allow cats. A weekly visit to the cat café is a great substitute for full ownership; curling up with a cup of coffee and a contented cat by your side sounds like purrfection to us!
Helps Educate the Community
Cats are infamous for being enigmas. No two are alike, and they’re hard to get to know at first. Visiting a cat café is a fantastic way to get some experience with cats and find out more about their likes and dislikes, especially if you are considering ownership in the near future or if you have never owned a cat before. Most cat cafés have specific rules and guidelines for interaction with the cats as well as staff on hand to help you bond better. A family visit to a cat café can also help your children become more comfortable with cats before you bring one into your home.
There are lots of reasons to visit a cat café—but, most of all, they are just a unique, fun way to spend a relaxing afternoon. Of course, if you have a cat or two of your own, we hope to see you at Ambassador as well. Our warm, welcoming staff members love cats, and we have a full range of
veterinary services to keep your feline friend happy and healthy.
