MUSKEGON, Mich. — A new cafe is trying to connect adoptable cats with loving homes, all while empowering people with disabilities with job skills.
The Whisker Room is a nonprofit cat cafe located in downtown Muskegon.
The mission is to be a place “where cats find homes and people find purpose,” said Chris Pickel, owner.
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Michigan Rehabilitative Services will provide interested employees to Pickel, and those employees will be paired with a job coach from The Arc of the Lakeshore.
The Arc provides advocacy, education and services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their families and a support system in Muskegon and Ottawa counties, their website states.
The coaches will be able to guide the employees, as needed, through the task they want to learn, whether it’s customer service, coffee making, taking care of cats, cleaning, general job skills or a blend of a few.
Coaches could also help with soft skills like how to get dressed for work or getting to work on time.
As the director of The Arc, Pickel said she saw a need for a starting ground where people could learn basic job skills in a teaching space before going to a traditional workplace setting.
“We want inclusion of the folks we support,” Pickel said. “We want people to come in and get their coffee and see people with disabilities can work. They can be members of the community and be productive members of the community.”
The space that used to be Drip Drop Drink Coffee now has a wall dividing the small coffee shop section and the cat cafe. The shop will serve coffee from Magnum Coffee Roastery in Nunica and baked goods from Morats Bakery in Muskegon.
In the 700-square-foot cat room, there are a variety of chairs and tables, cat furniture and toys and, of course, adoptable cats roaming around the room. Up to 12 people at a time will be able to reserve time in the room and will be able to bring their drinks and snacks with them.
There is even a kid’s table where kids can color while playing with cats.
“We’re hoping we’ll get college students if they want to work there during their breaks,” Pickel said. The shop is near the downtown campuses for the Culinary Institute of Michigan and Muskegon Community College.
All cats are provided by Big Lake Humane Society, which also provides Pickel with all the cat food and supplies, except for litter. The city allows for up to six cats in the space at a time.
Those wishing to adopt a cat will be directed to fill out an application with Big Lake Humane Society.
“Not only is it a wonderful expansion of their mission to help community members with employment opportunities, it offers a very special venue to temporarily house kitties looking for homes,” said Velvet Lyght, shelter manager. “It’s a great place the community can stop by, enjoy a cup of java and get in some kitty cuddles and purrs, all while helping two local nonprofits with their missions.”
All cats come neutered/spayed, microchipped and updated with necessary vaccines.
It costs $150 to adopt a kitten (under six months old), $100 for adult cats and $50 for senior cats (more than eight years old).
If multiple kittens are adopted, each additional one is $50. There is also a Senior to Senior program where the adoption fee is waived when a senior human adopts a senior cat.
As cats get adopted, new adoptable ones will be brought to the cafe. While there are all kittens right now, Pickel said they will also have older cats available for adoption.
“We’re just housing the cats and taking care of them until they find their homes,” Pickel said.
As she’s been getting the space ready, Pickel said many people have noticed the cats in the window and stop to take pictures and she will often let them in and show them around. One cat, Nate, is already approved for adoption.
There are currently 70 cats in the Big Lake shelter.
“This gives cats in our care a wonderful social opportunity where they can interact with people in a way they can’t at the shelter or in a foster home,” Velvet said. “Meeting cat lovers in a great space will hopefully lead to more adoptions.”
Pickel said she was inspired to start the cafe by her love for animals, inspiration from a TV show about a cat cafe and existing cat cafes around Michigan.
She lives in Norton Shores and is spending much of her time outside of work getting the cafe ready and, of course, petting and playing with the cats.
“I’ve fallen in love with all the cats, so it’s going to be difficult to see them all go,” Pickel said.
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