NEW CAT CAFÉ OFFERS “PURR”FECT WAY TO ADOPT CATS IN LUZERNE COUNTY

Animal shelters are overwhelmed with animals, especially during the pandemic.

One local woman has brought a new way for people to adopt cats to Luzerne County. Vikki Kenyon has always had a passion for cats and coffee. This weekend, she combined both passions into a reality: a cat cafe.

“I saw cat cafes popping up a few years ago in bigger cities in the U.S. so once I heard about them, I just knew it was something I had to do,” Kenyon said.

People can book an ‘experience’ to hang out with the felines, enjoy some coffee snacks, or shop for their own cat at Purrfect Mugs Cat Café. The Purrfect Mug Cat Café is sponsored by Whiskers World, a rescue based out of Plains.

“We’ve been looking for this for years. This is an opportunity to get our cats that we rescue, have people come in, see them and get them homes,” Whiskers World founder Donna Fountain said.

Owners tell Eyewitness News cat cafes like this one allow potential adopters to really see a cat’s personality before it goes to its forever home.

“It’s a little bit different from a shelter. You’re not petting them through a cage or a small space. You have a nice big open area that you can play with them and get to know their personality,” Kenyon said.

Kenyon says there is an overwhelming number of cats in the area that need a home.

“All of the cat colonies, we’re really trying to work with our rescue to get them trapped, neutered and released. And the ones that could be rehomed, we’re getting them into our cat den,” Kenyon said.

Fountain agrees, and tells Eyewitness News she’s seen too many irresponsible cat owners, leading to a need to find their felines new homes.

“We get calls, me and my partner, every day about people moving out of apartments and leaving cats outside the apartment, inside the apartment,” Fountain said.

Kenyon’s goal is to get 100 cats adopted in the next six months.