4Dec
Cat cafes are a global phenomenon. They have found success in several of the U.S.’s biggest cities, including Brooklyn, Manhattan, San Francisco, St. Louis, Denver and more. But Kansas City, the 6th largest city in the Midwest, has yet to become home to a cat café.
Until now.
Whiskers Cat Café opened its doors on November 23rd, 2018, beckoning cat lovers in KC recharge on caffeine while enjoying some feline company.
Whiskers Cat Café consists of two areas: a café portion for customers to order coffee, baked goods and other beverages, and a cat lounge where cats can climb, play, snuggle and sleep. Coffee is prepared in the café section, and guests with cat allergies can choose to enjoy their beverages in this area and watch the kitty activity through a large viewing window.
Customers must make reservations for an hour-long session. For the safety and comfort of both the cats and guests, Whiskers limits the number of customers at one time to 10. A session costs $10 per guest and includes 1 cup of coffee or tea, a bottled water or a canned soda.
The founder, Audrey Boese, is a self-proclaimed cat lover who has been working toward opening a cat café in KC for years. Upon visiting a cat café herself, Boese became determined to bring the concept to her hometown.
The first ever cat café opened in Taiwan in 1998. Since then, the popularity of cat cafes has spread rapidly across the globe. Today, there are cat cafés all over the world, including Japan, Canada, the U.K., Australia, Russia, Spain, France, Germany and many more countries.
Kansas City has already proven that it has no shortage of cat café enthusiasts – in her 2016 Kickstarter campaign to fund Whiskers, Boese raised over $20,000 from supporters of the idea.
Cat cafes have taken off globally due to a failproof concept. For people who love cats (of which there are many), a relaxing coffee spot where you can meet up with your friends while snuggling and playing with cats is pure heaven. Petting and watching cats play has even been proven to lower stress and blood pressure, helping to combat depression.
The concept also allows people who aren’t able to have their own pet – whether because of landlord restrictions, a family member’s allergies, or financial reasons – to interact with cats whenever they wish.
Dog lovers can enjoy the same concept at dog cafés around the world, proving that the blending of coffee and pets is a winning combination.
Whiskers Cat Café is not just a great spot to hang out – the business has an important purpose. The company’s mission is to promote pet adoption in KC; all of the café’s cats are available for adoption from KC Pet Project.
As a KC Pet Project volunteer, Boese feels that shelters can sometimes be non-ideal settings for the adoption process, as cats are highly constrained and may feel uncomfortable. At Whiskers, guests can get to know the cats in an open and comfortable setting. The owners have taken extra steps to ensure that the café is a suitable environment for cats by consulting cat behavior specialists to create both a stimulating kitty playground and relaxing areas for the cats to retreat when they need some alone time.
Hopefully, this free and inviting space for both cats and humans will result in more successful adoptions for cats in need of a forever home.
In addition to its partnership with KC Pet Project, Whiskers aims to support local Kansas City artists and businesses by featuring art galleries in the café and selling items from local bakeries and coffeemakers. The business is already offering Messenger brand coffee from the popular KC-based coffee roasting company.
You can visit Whiskers Cat Café at 3705 SW Trafficway, Kansas City, MO 6411. To learn more and make a reservation, check out Whiskers’ website.
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