Kickin’ it with the Kitties

Do you love cats? Do you love coffee? Then you’ve found the purr-fect place.

The much-anticipated Orlando Cat Café is now open at the Town Center at Cagan Crossings in Clermont. The cafe, which opened in September, is a collaboration among Cagan Management Group, Axum Coffee and The Animal League. It is the first and only cat café in the State of Florida.

The concept is a pet project of Sandra Cagan, senior vice president of Cagan Management Group, the developer of the Town Center at Cagan Crossings.

Cagan visited cat cafés in Portland, Oakland and even Paris, trying to incorporate the best practices of all locations. The Animal League, a no-kill shelter, supplies the cats. Each one is up to date on vaccinations, is spayed or neutered and is microchipped. The addition of Axum Coffee of Winter Garden, a philanthropic business, completed the concept.

The Orlando Cat Café is a cozy coffeehouse that is also home to 15 to 18 cats that roam freely in the spacious cat play and adoption area. There is a small fee to enter the cat play area and cuddle all of the cats. You can also watch the playful antics through a viewing window. The best part? All of the cats and kittens are available for adoption.

“This is a great place to interact with a cat in a more relaxed atmosphere prior to adopting them,” says Doreen Barker, executive director of the Animal League. “This is really going to help so many cats and kittens find their forever homes.”

To date, 39 cats have been adopted as a direct result of the Orlando Cat Café.

“For me, it’s the most gratifying part,” Cagan says. “I’ve had cats for most of my life, and I know how much happiness a cat brings to a family. It’s an honor to a be a part of that.”

Additional offerings include Coloring with the Kitties, Yoga and Purr-Lattes Mat Pilates.

Reservations are strongly recommended and can be made at www.orlandocatcafe.com.