FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Smitten Kitten NWA, a nonprofit cat cafe, is set to open its doors on July 13. The cafe is looking to help the overlooked cats of Northwest Arkansas.
Lauren Clingenpeel, executive director of Smitten Kitten, knows cat cafes are not a new concept. In fact, she opened Purr Cat Cafe in 2015.
"When I opened Purr Cat Cafe, we were one of the first ones in a smaller town, so they weren't as well known," Clingenpeel said. "Now, a lot of places you go, even medium-sized towns, have them, which is great because it's just helping more cats find homes."
Unfortunately, by 2020, that cafe closed.
"It was great," she said. "We were open for four years, we did over 600 adoptions. Our lease was up, and I went to go do other rescue work, and then COVID hit, so we took a little break, and we're back."
Purr Cat Cafe eventually transitioned to the foster-based rescue service Purr Project NWA, which Clingenpeel continues to partner with.
Smitten Kitten is taking in cats from several surrounding shelters such as Purr Project NWA, Springdale Animal Services, Fayetteville Animal Services, and Wilson Zoo in Garfield.
"The Smitten Kitten hosts all rescue and shelter cats from local rescues and shelters," Clingenpeel said. "They're all from the area here. They're all looking for homes, but you don't have to adopt them to come in."
With the experience of the previous cafe, Clingenpeel said she now wants to focus on providing a space for cats that don't normally thrive in rescues or shelters.
"With Purr, we ended up having a lot of cats that were difficult for rescues or shelters to take care of," she said. "It's really tough around here for cats, so we're kind of going on that natural evolution of taking ones that maybe just struggle a little more."
Smitten Kitten's slogan is "a cat cafe for the underdogs."
"These [cats] are the ones that maybe need a little more time, a little more socialization," Clingenpeel said. "Some are a little quieter. Maybe they're not handling where they are very well, or maybe they're seniors with some medical issues. We'll see who they need us to take, and that's what we're going to do."
Although adopting the cats is ultimately the goal, Clingenpeel said the one-on-one interactions are the most valuable part of the cafe.
"Adopting them is one way to help. That's great," she said. "We love that, but really just sitting with them and being patient with them and letting them come to you can help get them ready for their new home."
If visitors do decide to adopt one of the cats, the rescues and shelters generally help with the adoption process. Adoption fees are around $60 to $85. Each cat at the cafe will be fixed, up-to-date on vaccinations, microchipped, and FIV/FeLV tested. Adoption applications may take up to 48 hours to be reviewed and processed by the cat's original shelter or rescue.
To enter the cafe, you must pay $12.
"Most cat cafes have an hourly entry fee. We just do $12," she said. "You can stay as long as you want."
The nonprofit's income comes from the entrance fee, and any money from adoptions goes back to the rescues and shelters.
Not only can visitors stay all day on the small $12 fee, but Clingenpeel said there is unlimited coffee and tea available. Visitors can also bring their own drinks and food — even if the cats might try to steal it.
"Bring coffee. Bring food. They're gonna try to eat it. Bring people. Come alone, bring a book," Clingenpeel said. "Just sitting with them helps them so much."
The cafe is open Wednesday through Friday from noon to 6 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
It is located at 524 West Sycamore St., Suite D, in Fayetteville.
Clingenpeel said they are planning to do movie nights, yoga nights, and other events in the future. Any future events will be posted to Smitten Kitten's website, Facebook, or Instagram.
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