No one likes stress, but cats are particularly sensitive to it. Most cats do not like big changes, and they find new spaces particularly stressful. We want the cafe cats to be their most fabulous, confident selves, and we plan to leverage everything we’ve learned while working to reduce cats’ stress in shelter environments to create the best possible cat lounge space.

Since we will be introducing these cats to new, adoring fans every day, making the rest of their lives as predictable and enjoyable as possible is extremely important. This means knowing their space, knowing the other cats, and knowing their schedule and main caregivers. We won't open until we're confident that the cats have settled into the space and are comfortable with their cat companions. 

Having a permanent cat population also means that everyone on our team will know every cat extremely well! This means we’ll be able to keep them appropriately supplied with their favorite food and toys, and also quickly identify any small behavior changes that might mean there's a larger medical or behavioral issue that needs to be addressed (e.g., could a slight change in a cat's chewing mean a possible dental issue? has a cat stopped visiting a favorite high perch for a behavioral or medical reason?).

Through weekly volunteering at a local animal shelter, the owner has interacted with thousands of cats and done focused behavior work with hundreds. This has revealed so much about the incredible spectrum of personalities and needs cats may have! We completely agree that many cats would not be a good fit for this environment, such as the ones who:

- hide under the bed when anyone knocks on the door

- need a quiet household

- need to be an only cat (or are very selective about the cats they like)

But we have also met quite a few cats over the years who:

- run to greet everyone, including strangers

- love spending time with other cats 

- like to be at the center of everything, even if it's a bit loud/chaotic

The cats selected for A Sanctuary Cafe will be cats who thrive in a livelier atmosphere (though they'll still have plenty of perches/safe spaces for those times when they want a break!). 

Yes! Ten years ago, Boston’s shelters were always filled to capacity, and adding another cat adoption space would have been a top priority. But things have changed: the many years of hard work by greater Boston’s cat lovers, from the #adoptdontshop movement to low-cost spay/neuter and TNR programs, has shown results in the reduced shelter population of cats. This means that these days, many cages on shelter adoption floors are empty, and local animal welfare groups have the opportunity to devote more time to finding the right fit for cats with particular needs, and get them to that new forever home faster. Put another way: why make cats go through the stress of another move (and the additional days they’ll need to settle in) if they can already find their forever home at the shelter that first took them in? 

We understand that opinions will vary on this, but we don’t believe this is necessarily true, particularly for cats who have limited-to-no experience with a traditional home environment. We believe that cats who are used to the company of other cats will find the fellowship of several other cats familiar and comforting, while the regular food, cozy armchairs, adoring humans, and protection from the weather/cars/predators will be a wonderful bonus!

All of A Sanctuary Cafe's cats will be "rescues" from Boston-area animal shelters and rescue organizations, with a particular focus on adopting stray, community and colony cats. We are also very excited to be developing an affiliated nonprofit dedicated to helping Boston’s community cats (and the humans who support them)!