Meet John and Cindy from The Casual Cat Cafe in Richland Hills, Texas. Together, they are a husband and wife cat-saving team. They have three cats of their own and have been involved with cat rescue since 2009. During that time they have fostered well over a hundred cats.
Cindy stumbled upon the concept of a cat cafe after she bought the domain name www.EatPurrLove.com with the thought of writing a blog or book about traveling with her cat, Kitten. When Cindy then checked to ensure the facebook page was available, she realized it was taken by a cat cafe start-up of the same name. Intrigued, Cindy googled that whole night about cat cafes and realized it was her dream to start one in Texas.
"I've always loved animals and my husband and I have fostered cats ever since we've been married. I don't think that every cat cafe has to be 'unique', though most business try to claim something groundbreaking about themselves."
About the cafe:
Many cat cafes are very similar but Cindy has noticed some differences among them. At The Casual Cat Cafe, they aim to have a laid back 'casual' and stress free environment. They ask guests to remove their shoes and wear socks for the health and safety of the cats but they also feel this helps visitors to kick back and relax themselves. Their cafe offerings are limited to Keurig coffee and tea, as well as bottled soda, water, and pre-packaged snacks. They also partner with multiple rescues and do not limit themselves to only one so that each rescue or shelter in the area can have access to a great space such as a cat cafe for their cats.
Visitors are greeted in the retail section where they can browse among adorable cat themed merchandise, though most visitors opt to browse upon exiting the cat lounge as they are too excited to shop when they first arrive. Visitors are then directed to the cafe area where there are shoe racks, socks available to borrow, and lockers for personal items. Upon entering the cat lounge, visitors are greeted by between 10-15 cuddly cats. The Casual Cat Cafe offers visitors the opportunity to buy a container of cat treats in order to get the most kitty attention. Once in the cat lounge, visitors can pick a spot and relax with the cats or pick up a toy and play with the active kitties.
How to Visit:
There are no reservations so walk-ins are always welcome. The cafe is open Monday and Wednesday - Friday from 1pm-8pm and Saturday-Sunday 12pm-8pm. They are closed Tuesdays.
How you can help:
It takes a lot to run the cat cafe and even with the $10 entry fee their monthly expenses are high. The cat cafe spends a lot on veterinary visits for cats in its care. Though typically a rescue or shelter partner expense, if a cat is in need and the rescue is not immediately available, Cindy will not hesitate to give the cat the care it needs. The Casual Cat Cafe would love support in the form of liking and sharing their facebook page so more people can find them, donating via their website, or purchasing something for the cats from their Amazon wishlist.
You can also purchase anything from Tuft + Paw using this link and we will donate 10% of the proceeds to the Casual Cat Cafe.
