New Kennett cat cafe opens today

Olivia, a sweet and obvious people-pleasing calico kitten, will probably purr and nuzzle your hand with her tiny, white-and-pink, velvety nose.

Jingles, an energetic pint-size tabby with a mind of his own, just wants to dart around the room and play hide-and-seek and peek-a-boo.

While glamour princess Snowball blinks her gorgeous blue eyes and kneads a fluffy bed with her white paws, sassy tabby Sandy scampers up an overstuffed chair in search of a soft, friendly lap. 

If catmosphere is what you're looking for, look no further than Kennett Square, Pennsylvania's downtown area.

The new TreeTops Kitty Cafe is the ideal place to sit, mingle and snuggle with anywhere from eight to a dozen adoptable kittens and adult cats.

The 305 W. State St. storefront, in the same shopping center as El Ranchero Mexican Restaurant, is planning an Aug. 1 opening at 11 a.m.

Dog might be man's best friend, but the cat is his sometimes cuddly, and sometimes aloof, furry companion.

The nonprofit Kennett cat cafe is a first for the area. The closest other cat cafes are in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

Cat cafes have been gaining popularity ever since they were introduced in Asia about 20 years ago. They began spreading to North America with the opening of KitTea Cat Cafe in San Francisco in 2014.

Cat cafes are sort of like coffeehouses with overstuffed furniture, drinks and free WiFi, but here kitties are allowed to roam free among customers who might eventually become their owners. 

Visitors pay a donation fee to pet and play with the clean and healthy cats, who have been socialized in homes.

Food is not prepared at the cafe. Visitors can purchase coffee, tea, water or sodas and prepackaged snacks, like gluten-free fruit and nut bars and muffins, in a separate area of the cafe or bring their own food. There are many eateries within walking distance of the Kennett cat cafe. 

The hope is the cats will be adopted, but people who can no longer have kitties due to a variety of reasons also can come in for companionship and cuddles. Some cat cafes host community events and get-togethers known as happy meow-ers. 

TreeTops Kitty Cafe is the brainchild of Laurellen Treisner, who has been president of the TreeTops Animal Rescue in southern Chester County, Pennsylvania, since 2006.

Its mission is to rescue adoptable lost, abandoned or surrendered animals and provide care and medical attention including being spayed/neutered. The cats are socialized in foster homes and then placed in loving and caring permanent homes.

In the past decade, the Landenberg, Pennsylvania-based rescue has adopted out more than 1,500 animals, mostly cats and dogs, but also some goats, rabbits, and alpaca.

The cat cafe will have only kitties. "Baby goats and kittens would be an adorable combination, but we're not going to have goats," Treisner says.

There is no brick-and-mortar shelter for the rescue. TreeTops relies on volunteer foster families to care for the rescued animals as pets in their homes until they are adopted.

Treisner says overpopulation is a serious problem nationwide with cats being given away by the thousands, especially during kitten season in the summer. And it's harder to find homes for cats through websites than it is dogs, she says.

According to ASPCA statistics, approximately 3.2 million shelter animals are adopted each year (1.6 million dogs and 1.6 million cats). About 710,000 animals who enter shelters as strays are returned to their owners. Of those, 620,000 are dogs and only 90,000 are cats.

One of the most successful ways the TreeTops rescue has found homes for its cats was through the former Paws & Claws Pet Store in Kennett. As customers came in to shop, they would meet the cats running loose and fall in love with them.

"It was always about getting them seen. It was a good way to get them adopted," Treisner says.

When the store closed earlier this year, the rescue decided to take over the site for the cat cafe. They also plan to sell pet food, litter, toys and other pet supplies. The cafe, with the roaming kitties, can be rented for book club gatherings, yoga classes or birthday parties.

"We're hoping this area will support us," Treisner says, especially since there are no other cat cafes nearby. "Everyone in this area has been very enthusiastic."

Earlier this week, renovations were still ongoing at the cafe, which features several mismatched, overstuffed couches, wing chairs, coffee tables and lots of cat climbing devices and toys. Much of the furniture was donated.

"We know there's going to be a lot of damage. We didn't want to spend a lot on the furniture," Treisner says.

Visitors can also come in to read, draw or play board games. Volunteers are needed to foster cats in their home, work at the Café, help out at adoption events, transport animals, or raise donations for supplies and care for the animals.

The cost to visit the cafe, per half hour, is $5 for those 14 and older and $7 for an adult and a child. A family fee, two adults and two children younger than 14, is $10. Children younger than 14 must be supervised by an adult.

The 30-minute time period is fluid. "We're not going to throw out anyone unless we have people waiting," Treisner says. Up to a dozen people will be admitted to the cafe at a time.

Monthly memberships also are available.

Everyone has to sign a waiver to play with the cats. "Cats are sharp, they can scratch or bite accidentally," Treisner says. Any cat who can't handle the cafe environment will return to its foster home.

Many of the cats will interact with visitors, but indifference to humans is a feline trait.

During a recent visit, kittens Snowball and Sandy frequently look for affection, while two other available cats, Panda, the tuxedo kitty, and Speedy, a tortoiseshell, have found comfortable spots to nap well out of sight of any prying eyes.

Visitors who fall in love at first sight can't walk home with a cat. Treisner says future pet parents are required to fill out an adoption application and provide references. Applications can be found on the rescue's website, www.treetopsrescue.org/

Dog owners thinking about introducing a cat to their home and want to bring their tailwaggers to become acquainted with the kitties are barking up the wrong tree. TreeTops rescue will arrange for an at-home visit to see if the dog and cat get along.

Treisner says any cat lover is welcome to the cafe.

"A lot of people can't have cats because someone they live with has allergies or they live somewhere where they can't have pets," she says. "The goal is to get the cats adopted. They are way too many cats in need."

Contact Patricia Talorico at (302) 324-2861 or ptalorico@delawareonline.com and on Twitter @pattytalorico

IF YOU GO:

What: TreeTops Kitty Cafe, a new cat cafe where visitors can pet, play and cuddle with adoptable kittens and adult cats. It opens Aug. 1.

Where: 305 W. State St., Kennett Square, Pennsylvania

Cost: The cost to visit the cafe, per half hour, is $5 for those 14 and older and $7 for an adult and a child. A family fee, two adults and two children younger than 14, is $10. Children younger than 14 must be supervised by an adult.

Hours:  11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tues.-Thurs.; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sun. It's closed on Mondays. The cafe can be booked for private events for up to 12 people.

Information: The cafe also is looking for volunteers, Call the TreeTops Animal Rescue at (484) 727-7456 or visit www.treetopskittycafe.com or the TreeTops Kitty Cafe Facebook page.

More pet events:

Dog Days of Summer From 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, July 28, the Delaware Children’s Museum at 550 Justison St. Wilmington is hosting an animal extravaganza. Meet service animals, watch a live animal demonstration, and learn some cool creature facts. The program also is designed teach children and their families about animals and their importance. Call (302) 442-6856.

Bring & Make a Friend. From 3 to 5 p.m Sunday, July 30, at the Wilmington Riverfront's Constitution Yards Beer Garden, 308 Justison St. A dog friendly event that begins with a walk along the Riverfront (about a half hour up to the cranes and back) then mingling in a reserved, pet-friendly area at the beer garden. Bring a friend or two (human and/or canine). Admission is free. Contact 302-571-0111 for more information.

Playtime at the Beach. From 4 to 7 p.m. Aug. 12. Meet and mingle with other animal lovers while enjoying great food and drink at “Playtime at the Beach”, a series of dog-friendly happy hours hosted by local restaurants and bars in Rehoboth Beach through October. Dogs are welcome at each venue but must be on a leash. A portion of the proceeds from each happy hour will be donated to Delaware Humane Association. It begins at Rigby's Restaurant, 404 Rehoboth Ave. Contact delawarehumane.org

Bike and Hike with Your Dog at Hagley Museum. From 5 to 8 p.m. Aug. 30 atHagley Museum and Library, 200 Hagley Creek Road in Wilmington. Bike, hike, walk, or jog Hagley’s 3 mile loop with your four-legged furry friends…that’s right: dogs are invited! Adoptable dogs will be there to meet and greet visitors. Admission is $2 per person, free for members, military personnel and their families, and children five and under. Visit www.hagley.org

Delaware Art Museum Doggy Happy Hour. From 5 to 7 p.m. Aug. 31, visitors are to the 2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington, museum are invited to bring their four-legged friends for Doggy Day Happy Hour, with special dog treats included. All dogs must be leashed during the event outdoors on the Museum's back terrace in the Copeland Sculpture Garden or in the Thronson Café during inclement weather. Happy Hour drinks and food specials will be provided by Toscana, the Museum's exclusive caterer. Visit the website at delart.org.