Café Catering Coffee, Cookies, And Cat Encounters Finds Felines Forever Homes
It isn't often that humans and cats have a space of cohabitation where both feline and their human friends aren't a part of the same household. People seeking hang-out time with cats are typically limited to volunteering at rescue and adoption foundations or tracking down the neighborhood cat for pets and rubs. Yet, in Leesburg, Virginia, a local woman has decided to create a mutual meetup for humans and cats alike by combining her passion for coffee, cookies, and cats needing a forever home.
Heather Donahue cut the ribbon on her café just weeks ago that has the community rushing in to soak up the opportunity to sip coffee and pet cats. At first glance, the café appears like any other. Patrons enter past the pink neon logo of Catty Corner Café into a bright room lined with windows and rustic metal chairs and tables dotting the floor.
Story written by Alex Lemieux.
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The menu is simple. For $22, people can have freshly brewed coffee, gourmet cookies, and one hour in the upstairs den where the main attractions are located. For those who think the price is a bit steep, Heather offers a cookie, coffee, and a 30-minute cat hang-out session for only $12.
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"It's a great place to come and get your cat fix if you can't have a cat at home," Heather explained. "It's a great place to come and meet a cat you have bonded with if you're looking to adopt."
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After a walk up the stairs, patrons are met with plenty of comfy seating and walls covered in windows overlooking Market Street in Leesburg's historic district. The hour of kitty time is spent amongst multiple faux-tree towers for cats to climb, numerous nooks, mini teepees, and wood slab steps on the walls where the adventurous felines can mingle with their human counterparts.
"Since they're friendly, relaxed, and not in a cage, you can see their true personality," she remarked.
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This room serves as a meeting point for cats provided by the Humane Society of Loudoun County (HSLC) seeking adoption. Heather has a strong connection with the local animal shelter as she served for years fostering cats. Catty Corner Café now provides a full-time home for 15-18 cats from HSLC, and Heather is planning on bringing in more for people to hang out with and hopefully take home as a new part of their family.
Before the cats become residents, they go through a "huge vetting process," Heather said.
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"First of all, the cats need to be friendly. They also need to be healthy, and they are going to be vaccinated and fixed before they come, as well as microchipped," she explained. Cats set to be housed at the café will also transition from the shelter into a foster home for at least two weeks beforehand to prepare and socialize them.
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This makes the adoption process more manageable as the cats are "all set to go" when a café patron wishes to take one home. Before someone wishes to leave with more than one of Heather's amazing cookies, they will fill out a form on the HSLC website to finalize the adoption.
Even though the café closes at night, Heather detailed that there are cameras throughout the café to ensure their safety and give her the occasional cat-aid.
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"If I wake up at 2:00 in the morning and I need to get my cat fix, I put my cameras on and watch," she said. "Cats are very independent. For the most part, they're just sleeping."
Yet, as the day breaks and the Catty Corner Café begins its routine hustle and bustle, the cats welcome the rush.
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"They love the attention," Heather mentioned. But she explained that there's a cozy "escape room" for the cats if they get too overwhelmed with love and human interaction.
Even though Heather spends her time looking after well over a dozen cats, at least one has shined forth from the group. Cello, a long-haired, purr-crazy, former feral beauty, was a fan favorite, leading Heather to adopt her full-time to become a permanent resident of Catty Corner Café.
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