Petaluma ‘cat cafe’ idea purrrcolates

Two Marin County residents are on a quest to make Petaluma the first city in the North Bay to feature a “cat cafe,” an establishment that would be part of a trend that’s coupling cat and coffee lovers with adoptable felines around the globe.

The Novato feline enthusiasts last week launched a crowd-funding campaign to raise at least $35,000 to open “Catfeinated,” a cafe and co-working space in Petaluma that would house cats from local shelters, with hopes of reaching higher funding levels for the creation of a kitten room and a wine and beer bar.

Though city and county officials pointed to a web of potential regulatory challenges, Laura DeWald, a 25-year-old software developer who’s spearheading the campaign along with KC Elliott, a 26-year-old former barista, remain confident that their love of felines will trump the challenges.

Since Aug. 9, 26 backers have contributed $2,086 to the campaign, though many foundational elements, such as a specific space, a site plan and a strategy to navigate through potentially tricky permitting, zoning and health code regulations still need to be ironed out, DeWald said.

She said the café would serve as a hub for adoptions as well as a space for a feline-friendly community to congregate, with events such as a movie nights as well as art and yoga classes planned.

Though such a concept has yet to emerge in Sonoma County, cat cafes are already open in locations including Japan, Oakland, San Francisco, Texas, Canada and Europe. DeWald, a Sonoma Valley High School graduate, said she’s traveled to a handful of similar establishments to develop a business model, and she’s positive Petaluma will be a solid launching spot.

“Petaluma is kind of up and coming, and out of all of Sonoma County, it’s probably the coolest city,” she said, adding that she’s hoping to lease a downtown location.

At “Catfeinated,” a limited number of customers would pay a fee to interact with the 10 to 12 adoptable cats on site, a model DeWald said boosts adoptions, and also provides benefits to patrons, including reducing anxiety.

“I got my first cat at a shelter, where they’re all just in cages and you can’t really interact with them at all unless you have a staff member helping you,” DeWald said. “It’s sad to see animals in there like that, but in a situation like the cafe, you could go in and relax and see what the cat would be like at home.”

DeWald has been in early conversations about hosting adoptable cats from Sonoma-based animal shelter Pets Lifeline, and Lissette Valdez, the shelter’s volunteer and events coordinator, said the potential arrangement could increase visibility for the shelter’s cats.

“We see a lot of great benefits from having animals off site and seeing new groups of people. Getting exposure does help us find the one person who walks in and makes a match,” she said.

Ann Dunn, who in 2014 founded Oakland-based “Cat Town Cafe,” America’s first cat café, said in the first two years, 450 cats have been adopted from the thriving establishment, which is housed in a 2,200-square-foot building filled with feline-friendly furniture.

Relying on her knowledge from two decades working in local government, she was able to complete the approval process with relative ease, and though she said she’s enjoyed success, she said it can be a difficult path to opening a cat-friendly business.