Cats, Coffee, and Cocktails: The Purrfect Day Cafe Experience!

      Purrfect Day Cat Cafe has helped save - and find furr-ever homes - for over 2,000 cats in just their first two years of opening their second location. Chuck Patton and his wife, Tricia Patton, opened their first Purrfect Day Cat Cafe in Louisville, Kentucky in 2018, their second location in Covington, Kentucky in 2020, and they haven't looked back since.
     The Patton family has always been huge animal lovers. Certainly that won't come as surprise, given the countless human lives they've changed - and feline lives they've saved - in the process of their work. Chuck told me quite a funny story, one I'm sure will resonate with many people who are also owned by a feline (or a few) of their own. The Patton family had started with one cat and two dogs. Unsurprisingly, that cat tended to show more traits of a dog than a cat so they were always very close with the dogs. Eventually, the two dogs passed and the cat was now without their friends. So, of course, the only logical solution would be to get a kitten for the cat! That would have been a wonderful solution, had the cat actually shown any interest or care for the kitten. So now the kitten was in need of a new friend. The solution? Get a kitten for the kitten of course! Anyone who's ever had cats of their own can almost certainly attest to the fact that they just seem to multiply, and no one really knows how or why. After all, doesn't the universe just assign a cat (or two, or five) to you when it's your time? But! No need to worry about the loneliness of the original cat, another dog has since joined the family and they couldn't be happier!
      So, how did the Patton family arrive here, to make the impact they have? They were on vacation in Charleston, South Carolina and they had come across a similar concept (a place where you could hang out with and/ or adopt cats.) They wanted to check the place out, and after the four hour wait to get in, they were able to. What really stood out to them was just how happy everyone was to be there, to be a part of something of that magnitude. The workers, the volunteers, the guests and patrons, and even the cats. It was a really great environment. The Pattons had just sold their advertising business, and Chuck didn't want to take just another job. Like most of us, he wanted to do something that really made an impact. He wanted work with a purpose. And thus, Purrfect Day Cafe was born.
     So, how does this work? The cafe itself is a place that anyone can visit during normal operating hours. Take some time to enjoy snacks and pastries, coffee, and even cocktails - all wile enjoying the view into the massive cat room where all the kitties live. If ever in need of some uplifting, warm, and fuzzy feelings, this is the place to go. If you're more interested in spending some good, quality time with all the kitties, you can do that too! As of right now, the cost is $15.00 for 50 minutes in the cat room, to get all the kitten cuddles and pets that you can imagine. And good luck not coming back for more after that.
     There are a lot of us who have so much passion and desire to help animals. So I asked Chuck what some of the best ways were to do just that, especially when it feels like there's so much you can do that you don't really know what to do. A very easy way to help the kitties at the cafe would be to just come in and buy a beer, have a cup of coffee, or purchase a few stickers for your Hydro Flask. All the money contributed helps to keep the cafe operational. Another way to help is to book time slots for you and a few friends to come visit and play with the cats. Not only does the monetary contribution help with their care, but the socialization of the kitties is such an important element. Outside the cafe, volunteering your time at any animal shelter is a significant way to contribute. One of the most impactful ways to help would be to adopt, if you're ready for that and if you're in a place in your life where it makes sense to do so. Additionally, fostering animals from shelters until they can find their forever home, makes a massive difference and relieves a lot of pressure from those shelters. And finally, if you really want to help these animals, but you don't quite have the time to volunteer, or you'd just rather donate money, you can do just that. However, it's very important to note that your money will make the most impact when donated to animal shelters. Most of their bills are paid by donations.
     The Patton family wants their cat cafe locations to be something that the locals are proud of. It's important to them to get the word out that there is a place in the community for animal lovers to help.
     So, don't be shy: check out this phenomenal cause, and maybe even take home a new kitty or two! And if being in that environment peaks your interest in helping, you can ask them about volunteer opportunities. Each year, they see more and more growth and are only going to continue with that trend. In 2022 alone, they had 1,136 cats adopted in Covington and 1,700 in Louisville! Go book your time, order a cocktail and I'll probably see you there!

     P.S.  Be sure to follow their social media pages to watch for all their upcoming events such as yoga, game nights, and pajama parties!