One cat is, in fact, a cat. Two cats are a pair. And three or extra cats are known as a clowder.
But 16-18 cats?
Technically they’d make up a clowder, too, however you possibly can name that quantity The Cat’s Meow — since that is what number of are in Bloomington-Normal’s solely cat cafe at any given time.
Launched simply over seven months in the past, the cafe in Suite E at 507 N. Hershey Road in Bloomington has exceeded proprietor Lauri Meins’ expectations — each as a cat lover herself and business enterprise.
“I feel we’re all, as a bunch, over the moon with how profitable it has been,” Meins mentioned in an interview. “It’s simply been an effective way to get publicity for these animals.”
As an concept, The Cat’s Meow was conceived in the summertime of 2021 whereas Meins was in Tennessee. She dropped right into a cat cafe there — the primary one she’d ever visited — then started fascinated by what it could take to recreate that business within the Twin Cities.
“It was like, ‘We want a cat cafe in Bloomington-Normal.’ In the post-pandemic world, we wanted totally different communities, persons are struggling extra with their psychological well being they usually do not have an outlet for the pure serotonin you get from having a kitten in your lap — we simply wanted one thing like that on this neighborhood,” Meins mentioned. “So I used to be like, ‘I’m going to make it.'”
It took a few years of planning earlier than The Cat’s Meow opened in September 2023. The hardest half, Meins mentioned, was discovering a keen social gathering to lease business area for a business cut up between retail meals service and animal care.
“That was very, very exhausting,” Meins mentioned. “Once these hurdles had been gone, although, I really feel prefer it’s been pretty easy crusing.”
A workers of 9 employees assist her run the business, their job descriptions capturing all the pieces from making lattes to scooping litter to sharing lore in regards to the cats that keep there. A typical quantity ranges from 16-18.
“It’s completely exhausting as a result of I fall in love with each single one in every of them. I do know all of them personally. But I do know they’ll discover ceaselessly properties and that is so a lot better than me, one human being, might take care of,” mentioned Meins.
The cats come from Normal-based animal rescue nonprofit Pet Central Helps. In simply greater than seven months of business, almost 150 cats have discovered everlasting properties because of individuals visiting them within the cat cafe. The Cat’s Meow picks up the tab for litter, meals and no matter else the cats might have to be able to preserve Pet Central Helps’ assets, Meins mentioned — a part of the rationale there is a $5 entry price.
“There is an efficient quantity of effort that goes into caring on daily basis for this many animals,” Meins mentioned. “We do our greatest to maintain all the pieces tremendous sanitary, tremendous above board, very, very properly cared for — and that does take lots of manpower and lots of funds.”
Someday, Meins hopes there’s a chance for each entities to broaden the work they have been doing through the partnership.
She plans to broaden occasion programming on the cafe this summer time, launching “Kid and Kitty” camp, a two-hour block of time for youngsters to learn to take care of and act round cats, and “Future Cat Cafe Owners of America” for older children and youths. At the latter, Meins mentioned she plans to share the blueprint of how she opened and runs her business.
“The high reward is seeing what number of cats are getting placed of their ceaselessly properties — so many cats have been rescued. But the happiness it brings to prospects that simply wish to are available and loosen up — I actually respect the texts I get from individuals saying, ‘I used to be having such a nasty day and I need not undertake, however I wished t are available and pet some cats and really feel higher and good about myself,'” Meins mentioned.
The Cat’s Meow is open from 7-11 a.m. and 3-7 p.m. every day, with a few-hour break factored in for the cats. Entry to the cat portion of the cafe prices $5 and on-line reservations are beneficial, since not more than 20 persons are allowed within the cat space at one time.
