LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It’s love at first purr at Kentucky’s very first cat cafe, where folk can get a tasty treat but also help cats find their forever home.

What You Need To Know

  • Purrfect Day Cafe in Louisville opened Aug. 8, 2018 with the idea of having a place where folks can get a tasty treat and adopt a cat into a forever home

  • The cafe adopts out almost 3,000 cats every year from over 60 counties in Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio to alleviate shelters and avoid euthanizing kittens

  • Currently the cafe has 30 cats and is on the verge of reaching a record number of 10,000 of cat adoptions

The Purrfect Day Cafe in Louisville is about to reach a milestone of 10,000 adoptions.

Volunteer Joan Kayse has two cats and adopted her cat, Biscuit, two years ago when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Kayse says her cats help her through her treatment.

“My kitties, especially, they were there for me in ways. I mean, they know exactly when I’m not feeling good, when I’m sad, when I’m hurt,” said Kayse.

Purrfect Day Café partners with multiple Humane Societies to alleviate the burden on shelters. Operations Director Robert Mason says the cafe adopts out almost 3,000 kitties every year from over 60 counties in Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio. 

“And there’s several of them that used to have to euthanize due to space that don’t have to anymore because they can bring them here instead,” explained Mason.

“We’ve sent cats home to over 30 states. So everybody’s just come around this concept and really supported it,” Mason said.

Ashley Johns brings her daughter Bristol for a mother/daughter date with drinks and some kitty love. “I honestly didn’t consider myself a big cat person, but we love coming in here and playing now,” shared Johns.

Johns says her daughter loves cats and adopting one of their own isn’t off the table. She is excited for the cafe’s looming 10,000 adoptions milestone.

“That’s amazing. That’s so many of these cute kittens adopted. And it’s really awesome that there’s a place like this where people can come and play with them and get to know them before adopting, and that’s just that’s really cool,” said Johns.

Kayse says she is so proud that the cafe is affecting so many people and cats. 

“I just love seeing other people come in here and find their match because they’re either coming in because they’re grieving the loss of another animal or, maybe even a family member or friend,” said Kayse.

The Purrfect Day Cafe hopes to achieve 10,000 adoptions by their sixth anniversary on Aug. 8. The cafe has 30 cats currently. They expanded their reach in Nov. 2020 by opening a second location in Covington.

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