The Witty Whisker Cat Café recently celebrated six years. The owner, Angeli Rodriguez, was inspired to start the café after reading an article about a woman who visited a cat café in Thailand and decided to open her own in the United States. Rodriguez dreamed about starting a cat café in St. Augustine for a couple of years. Then, during a hurricane, she lost power and had some extra time to think. She decided then and there to plan out her business.
Witty Whisker Cat Café is home to adorable and adoptable rescue cats. Café guests can order delicious coffee and pastries and watch the cats play through the windows while they enjoy their drinks and baked goods. Guests also have the option to pay an admission fee to spend time with the cats in the cat lounge while sipping their beverages. Guests don’t have to adopt a cat to visit, but many visitors do fall in love and fill out an adoption application form before leaving, Rodriguez said.
The café partners with a local cat rescue, Feline Canopy of Care. They value the lives of cats and keep them until they are adopted. All of the feline residents at the café come from the rescue and are spayed/neutered and vaccinated before they move in. Prospective cat “parents” can fill out an adoption application through Feline Canopy of Care’s website, https://fcocinc.org. It takes three to five business days to process the application. The rescue requires vet and personal references. Once you are approved, you can pick out a cat from the café.
On April 18, the café moved from the original location to a stunning Victorian home that was built between 1885 and 1894. Rodriguez said the resident cats love their new home. The cafe features a two-story cat lounge, wrap-around porch and a wonderful coffee shop with windows viewing the cat area. They are famous for their scrumptious mini loaf cakes by their amazing baker, Cracraves.
Witty Whisker Cat Café hosts special events. Painting with Kitties is a fun, two-hour painting session with cats. Admission includes artistic instruction, a complimentary drink and painting supplies. Meowditation is a yoga class led by a certified yoga instructor and accompanied by feline friends. Purrfect Vibes is sound bath meditation with cats led by a sound therapist. The café also hosts private events from birthday parties to bachelorette parties.
For more information and event dates, check out their website at wittywhisker.com or their Instagram @wittywhisker. They are located at 7 Old Mission Ave., St. Augustine.
