Little Lions cat sanctuary and tea house started a crowdfunding campaign this week, reaching for a goal of $65,000.
A new cat café is in the works, after founder Erin McShane felt confident after the success of the pop-up café in New York earlier this year. She found the inspiration after visiting Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium in London. With the crowdfunding's goal, it's enough to bring to life McShane's dreams.
Little Lions is planned to be a cat tea house where visitors can play with the felines and drink coffee or tea. They will be working with the New York Animal Care Control (ACC) Anjellicle Cat Rescue who has been taking care of abandoned and stray cats for over ten years. The organizations will overlook the preparation for creating an environment appropriate for the felines.
More kittens than cats will occupy the space as they easily adapt to new environment and people. However, adult cats will also be part of the cafe sanctuary as most of the cats in shelters are over five years old.
"All cats will eventually be adoptable and we plan to hold regular adoption events so that we can expand our reach past our own circle and help the thousands of other needy cats find forever homes," posted on Little Lion's crowdfunding page.
McShane said that the café part of the planned business comes from the tea and coffee packages inclusive of the patron's visit. Little Lions plan to charge $5 per hour which will be used to cover the costs of taking care of cats.
They have concrete plans on how to separate the cats from the tea house that still need to be approved by DOH. "I feel very confident they will provide both an approval and an A health grade," McShane said.
Purina One's four-day pop-up cate café earlier this Spring attracted long lines of cat enthusiasts.
