Ottawa has opened its first cat café, a place to help both cat-lovers relax and rescued cats find new homes.
The Purrfect Café is a little different than the other themed cafés that have popped up in big cities such as Toronto and Montreal, as it is instead run as a program through Pink Triangle Services, a not-for-profit that offers support to Ottawa’s queer community.
The café is hosted the third Tuesday of every month at the Pink Triangle Services Centre located at 331 Cooper St. It is free and is funded by the centre.
Pink Triangle staff members Kayla Miller and Veronica Michelle came up with the idea. According to Miller, she and Michelle wanted to diversify the community by building options they could make available in the space, but didn’t want to do something typical.
Miller and Michelle say they are both cat lovers, so a cat café seemed like the perfect idea.
“The café is a great icebreaker for anyone who might be interested in checking out the services PTS has to offer, but also for anyone who just wants to come hang out,” says Miller.
The program also helps cats find new homes by partnering with Village Kitten Rescue, a cat rescue in the greater Ottawa area.
The café averages 20 to 30 guests, but Miller predicts the numbers will rise.
Specialized cafés are a growing trend. Two years ago, David Narbaitz opened Monopolatte, a board game café, also in Centretown.
“It’s a place where people can go for a first date or an encounter that’s not purely talking based,” says Narbaitz.
Peter T. Stewart, manager of entrepreneurial services at Invest Ottawa, says themed cafés are a way for the owners to distinguish the business.
“With such a specific audience, it may resonate with fewer people, but it will build a stronger connection with those that it does,” says Stewart.
Miller says the program may expand and partner with other rescues in the future.