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Brighton cat cafe could be fur real
By adamg on Thu, 11/03/2016 - 10:33pm
A local catrepreneur is hoping to wrangle support for a place on Chestnut Hill Avenue where people looking for some fuzzy affection could pet kitties for $15 an hour between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m.
Diane Kelly, who pounced on space in the new block of stores at 167-183 Chestnut Hill Ave. for her Purr Cat Cafe, told the Brighton-Allston Improvement Association tonight she hopes to have up to 25 cats at a time roaming her space as people sit interacting with cats, even as they take advantage of free WiFi.
Because of city health concerns, the cafe won't actually make or sell anything to eat or drink, but Kelly said she has an agreement with a nearby restaurant in which the cat inclined could pick items from a menu, which her staff would then go pick up for them so they could nosh and pet at the same time.
Kelly was at the meeting to try to win a pawsitive vote to take to the Zoning Board of Appeals, which would have to give its approval because "kennels" - Boston's zoning code does not cover "cat cafes" - are not allowed at that location.
Kelly said all the cats in her cafe - in space where neighborhood opposition killed a proposed kosher packie - would come from local animal-shelters and that all would be up for adoption.
Her lawyer noted that cat cafes have spread from Taipei around the world and that it's time that New England got its first. "We are sorely lacking in a cat cafe as you can tell, we are behind the curve here, so we need to catch up," he said.
He added the cafe could prove attractive to students from nearby Boston College who "may not want to go to a bar until 2 a.m. and stumble out."
One resident who approved of the idea said it sound like a great way for singles to meet each other. Kelly said she also hoped to book corporate events. Nobody hissed any opposition.
Kelly also plans hours where people from nearby senior centers and residences and local schools could enjoy the cats for free; she cited benefits such as lowered blood pressure and risk of strokes from regular cat companionship.
No more than 40 people would be allowed inside at a time - Kelly said reservations would be made online.
Customers would enter through an airlock-type two-door system, in which they would enter a vestibule, the front door would close behind them and then a staffer would buzz the second door open, to ensure cats don't escape. The basement would be set aside for space to quarantine sick cats - and for upstairs cats to escape if they get overwhelmed by all the affection.
H/t Beth Gavin, who videoed the BAIA presentation.
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Comments
Adorable!
if you wanted to pet cats
couldnt you just go to an animal shelter and do it for free
Anything Pawsible
That would be pawsible, but to be purrfectly frank, not as purrofitable and pawsatively not as fun as petting a kitty with a fellow feline fan.
Or, better yet. Make a
Or, better yet. Make a donation of $5. I am sure it would be appreciated. Winslow Animal Farm Sanctuary in Norton has animals you can pat for a small donation.
Probably not
Not an expert, but I don't think shelters just let random people wander in and pet the cats. People who are serious about wanting to adopt a cat can meet cats that are up for adoption (and even in those situations, I believe most shelters do some filtering on both sides, to try and find a good match). I'm not able to adopt a cat, but I like them, so I might consider spending time at a cat cafe from time to time.
correct
you are not an expert, and frankly are talking out of your ass
Ooooh, I'm hurt
And you are a nutjob, and frankly are in need of mental health services. I hope there's someone in your life who cares enough to stage an intervention before your antisocial tendencies manifest themselves in a real life situation with real life consequences for you. You are achin' for a breakin'.
this is your default comeback
literally every time you read something i say that you don't like. so your default comeback to somebody that you sincerely seem to believe is in need of mental health service is to call them a nutjob.
think about that for a minute. you're either being extremely disingenuous with your claims, or i should also be seeing you in group therapy.
if you ever want to put my anti social tendencies to the test, lemme know. we can grab tea.
Try to count to 10
Try to argue against somebody's statements without the ad hominem stuff.
Yup
Volunteer at:
MSPCA Angell https://www.mspca.org/get-involved/volunteer/
Animal Rescue League http://www.arlboston.org/volunteer/
Not really
Took my kid a few times to the ARL in Boston years ago when we were considering getting a friend for our cat. There is a small cage-like area you can go in and they put the cat in there with you, but its not really a place you can get an understanding of the cats personality (which is important if you are introducing it to a pet you already have at home). Maybe it was me, but I got the vibe that nobody was really fond of us coming in playing with and petting the cats unless we were ready to commit right then and there. I think it would be nice if the cat cafe had adoptable cats that someone could get to know before taking them home.
That's exactly how the ones I
That's exactly how the ones I've been to have worked. I went to one in Vancouver, CA the first week it opened. The cats were 'stocked' via a partnership with a shelter which brought in cats from harder-to-adopt areas (not a major city).
They were quarantined for medical, then the ones with the friendliest/chillest personalities were let out into the cafe.
It had to temporary close soon after opening because the cats were getting adopted faster than they could examine, quaratine, and introduce more to the cafe.
It wasn't the best hour of my entire life, but it was a fun experience, even as a cat owner it's not the same as playing with a pile of cats.
Cat Cafe
I don't get it. Anyone can go to any animal shelter or PetSmart and pet cats and dogs for FREE. The animal shelters welcome such activity and of course the animals are a available for adoption.
Well ...
Yes, you can pet kitties for free, but you can't sit there for an hour sipping your latte as you browse Facebook or work on your Great American Novel.
I think the cafe is a great idea
I love animals. I donate money and materials to shelters. I grew up around cats and I'm dying to get a big huggable dog once I have a family. Problem is, I'm out of the house 10 to 12 hours a day, and work often makes me travel for weeks at a time. It would be very cruel for me to adopt an animal and then have it live alone in an apartment, with only the occasional cuddle or a petsitter showing up once or twice a day while I'm away.
So, I would absolutely sponsor a cafe that rescued animals from shelters and gave them a cozy life. I would get my "fix" of warm, purring bags at my convenience without the animal having to suffer for my selfishness, they'll get plenty of socialization and veterinary care, AND they'd still be available for adoption by someone with the capacity to care for another living being. And $15? I assume that fee goes into upkeep of the place, shelter fees, veterinary care and grooming, and of course food.
I can't wait for it to open and, while I wouldn't be there every day, it sounds like a nice way to unwind on a Sunday evening.
This is the same argument for
This is the same argument for supporting a brothel on Chestnut Hill Ave.
It appears toxiplasisms have
It appears toxiplasisms have evolved their strategy to spread themselves to more people.
Stupid
am i the only one who thinks this is one of the most stupid and pointless things ever ? no like seriously is this what people are into these days ? smelling and petting weird random cats while they shit 2 feet away from you and your meal .. thats crazy ..
Don't go then
Stay bored at work
Brian Fellows - is that you?
So now we have SNL characters commenting on Uhub?
That's crazy!
Not only that, but, not all
Not only that, but, not all cats appreciate strangers poking at them, especially thelg strays and cats with unknown histories.
What about nasty little children that want to grab and squeeze them?
What about liability issues? Cat Scratch Fever anyone?
Stupid idea, and I feel sorry for the cats. Sure, it might lead to adoptions for some of them, similar to pet shop impulse buys. I agree visiting your local shelter or MSPCA or ARL and making a donation would be a better idea, plus the cats would be in a cage and no one would get hurt.
Yeah man
What ever happened to shoving them in a burlap sack and tossing them in the Charles?
/sarcasm (obviously)
No
Almost certainly not, but I'm guessing the number is beggared by the number who think your comment is even more stupid and pointless.
I know, right?
You can walk down basically any street in the city and get exposed to dog shit for free.
Outdoor Dog shit vs. indoor cat shit
At least the dog shit is outdoors. A cat is *supposed to* take a shit indoors. That's not for me.
But hey, knock yourselves out everybody. Doesn't bother me if this place opens.
The Ideal Solution Is To Use Only Toilet Trained Cats
The cat litter industry doesn't want you to know, but cats are very receptive to toilet training. Instinctively, cats want to hide the odor of their waste. Once they realize that depositing it in the toilet is much more effective than using a liter box, they'll take to it quite naturally. In addition to all the benefits of never having to purchase cat litter, clean the litter box and send it to the landfill, your home and your cat will be much, much cleaner.
Another wonderful benefit is that you'll be more aware of your cat's health. As often happens with older male cats, my Henry recently had a problem with urination. I immediately noticed he was having trouble and that there was a trace of blood in the toilet water, so I took Henry to the vet right away.
Happily, with a few doses of medication and a change in diet he was back to normal in just a couple of days. If Henry was a litter box cat, I wouldn't have known until the life-threatening condition became more serious.
I've also always thought that if for some reason I was no longer able to care for Henry, it would be much easier to find a new home for a perfectly toilet trained cat. Cats at the cafe hoping to find a permanent home would have a leg up if they were toilet trained too.
Stupid?
No, not stupid. Maybe not your thing, but why stupid? I've been to a cat cafe is Seoul and it was a blast. If you don't like cats, just don't go, right? Right.
I visited a cat cafe when I
I visited a cat cafe when I was in Montreal and had a lovely time. Even got a cute picture of one of the cats sitting directly across from me at my table! It was also a true cafe, so I had food and tea while I was there. Great experience.
$15 an hour...
I'm curious if people will shell out $15/hour to hang out with cats. I'm all for the cat café but without being able to sell food and drink $15/hour is pretty steep. I've got some cats, I'll let you hang out with them for $7/hour. BYOB.
That seems to be the going rate ...
In New York, at least (there's a place in LA that charges way more, but, you know, LA).
YUP
I will!
Catbnb?
Catbnb?
Come to Roslindale!
Where the numerous "neighborhood" cats are well fed, and often quite friendly.
Will vouch for that
Rozzie cats are cool cats, and cool cats are friendly.
all for kitties... bt 15?
but 15.00? pro rate 45 min for 7.00? love cats have 2 my best friend
of 14 yrs patches left us for kitty heaven 2 wks ago .. im still sad
have new kitten... but why cant folks bring their own cats?
YAY!
I have been waiting for a cat cafe to open in Boston!
And the advertisement at the top of the page is for....
Dog food! (via Amazon).
Bravo!
Will the "sick cats
Will the "sick cats quarantined to the basement" be under a veterinarian's supervision and care? It just sounds cruel. Bring them to the vets instead.
Yes, they will.
Yes, they will.
How do they keep them inside?
Most cats might not run out the door 99 percent of the time... but with the doors opening and closing dozens of times an hour, and with all sorts of crazy cat ladies coming and going, how do they keep the cats inside?
It's in the story
Down at the bottom, granted. It involves a two-door system, a buzzer and online reservations - you won't be able to just walk into the place.