Animal Welfare Professionals

Hi everyone!

I started my cat rescue this year with the long-term goal of expanding into an adoption lounge, think more cozy cat hangout, less cafe-style.  Before diving in, I wanted to gain more hands-on experience in rescue (I was previously a foster and vet tech) to make sure I was fully prepared for the journey ahead.

I've put together a business plan and would love to connect with anyone who has experience starting a similar venture. If you've built an adoption lounge, cat cafe, or a rescue-based business, I'd really appreciate any insights or mentorship!

Looking forward to learning from this community. Thanks in advance!

#OrganizationalManagement

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Carley Thompson
Founder
Despurate House Cats
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I work at a Cat Cafe and it is very successful with adoptions. We have anywhere from 50-70 cats on property and have  different rooms for the public to visit. We are an adoption center, but also offer prepackaged snacks with a donation entry fee. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask as I absolutely love it and it is great for the cats until they can be adopted in a home.

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Stefanie Schmidt
Animal Welfare Specialist
Hearts Alive Village
NV
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I volunteer for a rescue that started a cat cafe/adoption lounge last year.  Although I started volunteering with them after the cafe already opened, I have some experience helping them market/publicize the cafe.  If your cafe is not going to be someplace with very high foot traffic (like in a busy mall), I would make sure you have some plans and have put some research into how to market, how to get the word out, etc in addition to all the direct cat-related things.  I would suggest contacting your local news stations, radio stations, newspapers and invite them over to experience it for themselves.  We also worked with local influencers who featured our cafe on their social media pages.  Feel free to let me know if you have any specific questions.

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Connie Young
Vice Treasurer
Itty Bitty Orphan Kitty Rescue
CA
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