Results have far exceeded expectations at the Aristocat Café six months after its grand opening.
Fifty-eight felines fostered at the tea house and cat café in downtown Harrisonburg have already found furever homes.
“I thought it would be great honestly to [adopt] one a month,” said Aristocat Café owner Amanda Atwell of her expectations when she opened the cafe.
She is “super happy” that so many have found homes, and two more are pending adoption.
“I think the variety of people that come in is great,” Atwell said of her café, which she planned for some time in advance before opening in April 2023.
She said that senior couples visit after church, teens frequent the café on dates and college students hang out doing their homework.
“I am surprised at how many cats we’ve adopted,” Atwell said. “Pleasantly so.”
She said she 100 percent credits the set up of the café, which is focused on the comfort of the cats, for the adoption success. The cat space allows cats to choose how much involvement they have with guests, and for visitors to really spend time getting to know each cat.
“The cat they are meeting here is the cat they can take home,” Atwell said.
Atwell enjoys doing what she can to match a visitor interested in adopting with the right feline.
“It’s fun to be able to talk to people and let them meet one of the cats [who is right for them],” she said.
She also enjoys watching the kittens grow in the café until they are adopted to furever homes.
Atwell said she will soon decorate the café for Christmas, including having wish lists for the Humane Society available for donations.
“We just thought that would be a nice way for the community to be involved without a huge expense to them,” Atwell said.
Nine cats are fostered at the café right now, but up to 15 to 17 can be fostered at any time.
Cats at the café are from and cared for by the Humane Society of Shenandoah County, which does not have a building of its own.
“That’s one of the cool things about us being here is we get to serve as a home base,” Atwell said.
The café is also able to host events for the Humane Society, such as a fundraiser on October 13 for the café’s six-month anniversary, by which time 49 cats had been adopted and Atwell admitted she was disappointed. Until the next day when No. 50 found his furever home.
Atwell hopes to have 100 cats adopted by the café’s one-year anniversary in April 2024.
She said she was surprised that after 50 adoptions in October, the café’s adoption rate did not stall. Eight more were soon adopted.
In time for holiday gift giving, Aristocat Café offers café merch such as locally-sourced honey, teapots and mugs.
Other products available include art by local artists, jewelry, candles, hand-knit cat collars, Humane Society bags and Humane Society shirts.
Volunteers are always welcome at Aristocat Café to care for the cats. Atwell plans to host a volunteer orientation event this month as an introduction to the café’s space and to share expectations of volunteers.
“It’s just like [caring for] your cat at home, times 10,” Atwell said of volunteering at the café.
Membership to visit the cats in the café is $45 per person per month, or $15 per person for one hour.
Aristocat Café is at N. Liberty Street, Harrisonburg. Hours are Thursdays and Fridays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Related stories:
Tea time and felines is blending of two passions for Harrisonburg businesswoman – Augusta Free Press
About meow time: Aristocat Café celebrates grand opening in Harrisonburg – Augusta Free Press
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Rebecca Barnabi
