FAQ

Cat Café? I've heard of these! Tell me more!

The goal of a Cat Cafe is to provide a fun, cage-free, low stress place for adoptable cats and cat lovers to meet and socialize. We are partnering with Axel's Imprint Rescue and Sanctuary in Shakespeare and also Purrfect Haven out of London and act as a giant foster home for their adoptable kitties.

Visitors can spend an hour at a time in the kitty lounge sipping on drinks, enjoying a snack, and getting all the purrs.

Hang on- Food and Cats? How can this be?

Our Cafe and kitty lounge are separate spaces linked by a glass wall. The cafe will offer homemade cookies, sweet and savory waffles, bagels, soups and sandwiches, all day breakfast and other tasty treats. So...it's all good! Wanna have a snack without venturing into the kitty lounge? No problem! We will have limited seating available in the cafe so you can enjoy your snack while still being able to see some kitty action through the glass wall.

That sounds reasonable. But....Does it SMELL?

Cat Cafes would probably not be a thing if they did. We will make extra sure our furry companions have the cleanest, freshest place to chill while they are with us. We have installed a super duper ventilation system, and there will be doting staff to keep the place spotless.

So how many kitties will be there?

We have 9 resident cats. Tahnee, Clementine, Ricki, Toebean, Smudge, Nefer, Gracie, Fulla and Freyja.

Adoptable Cats will be in the lounge when they are brought in by the Rescues and are ready for adoption.

Can I bring my cat from home?

Please, NO! We will have plenty that will want your undivided attention.

Do I need a Reservation?

We strongly encourage reservations, and they are really easy to make online. We have a limited number of visitors allowed in the kitty lounge at a time, but when space allows we love walk-ins! We charge an hourly fee, as most Cat Cafes do, which helps pay for staff, utilities, rent, and catnip.

Our rate is $10.50 an hour for adults, free coffee refills or tea refills.

Children 3 - 12 years of age are $6 an hour for standard kitty lounge hours. Anyone 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult. 1 Adult per 3 children. Session passes will be available as well. Stay tuned!

Is there an age policy?

For the safety of our cats and little ones, children up to 16 will require an adult to sign a waiver and be with them at all times and supervise them in the kitty lounge.

Staff has the right to intervene and correct any unsafe behavior in the kitty lounge amd you and you may be asked to leave your stay early if behavior is not controlled by parents.

For kids 16+, we will need a waiver signed by an adult, but they can be in the lounge on their own.

Cool! There will be special events?!?

Yes! We look forward to offering all kinds of events, such as Yoga. With Cats, Kittie Paint Night, Kids' Story Time with Cats, Mewvie Nights... the list of opportunities is endless! We will also encourage community involvement with sessions on topics like Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) , kitten foster programs, and more. Have an idea for a special event, private event, or know someone who would be great to lead a discussion or class? Let us know! We're all ears! (Kitty ears that is)

What should I expect when I enter the kitty lounge?

Cats sleep. A LOT! But with up to 10 in the space at all times, there will always be some feline entertainment. The kitty lounge is quite spacious, so there will be cats everywhere! We ask that you do not wake a sleeping cat, and picking up cats is not allowed. Our best advice is to find a comfy spot, grab a toy, and see who chooses you!

I met my soul cat. What now?

That's the best news! The first step is to fill out an adoption application (at the cafe or online depending on the Rescue) . The Rescue will contact you and may want to do a home visit, They will help guide you through the process of bringing a new fur baby into your home. Our Rescue Partners are an amazing resource and have helped many cats find their new families and fur-ever homes. They will collect an adoption fee which helps cover the cost of getting a kitty adoption ready. This includes spay/neuter, vaccinations, microchip, and a final health screening.

I want to be involved! How can I help?

We love hearing that! We have an Amazon Wish List that is full of things we need to get up and running, as well as things we will always need. Want to shop locally? We love getting things from PetValu, a fantastic locally owned pet supply store. Lightly used towels and blankets will always be appreciated. If we can't use it, our Rescue partners can!

**Please Note** :

If you would like to make a monetary donation through etransfer (use info@alleycatcafe.ca) any funds received are directly applied to offset the cost of food and litter.

This would be much appreciated and more affordable than sourcing through the wish list. Thanks for your support

There are other ways to be involved if you would rather give your time. We are always in need of volunteers to help out with the cats and the cafe. We would love to hear from you!

Thanks for taking the time to get to know us. We look forward to your visit and hearing your feedback. By supporting alley cat Cafe, you are helping to improve the process of cat adoption and in turn saving lives.

That is pretty aMEOWzing!