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Posts Tagged ‘San Jose cat cafe’

Memorial Day and Cats

Posted by terrepruitt on May 30, 2016

Today is Memorial Day here in the United States. I hope that you are able to take time to enjoy your day, celebrating the freedom that has come and continues to come at the cost of so many. Perhaps you even took a moment to reflect and give thanks for the people and sacrifices they have made. I have seen so many things posted on Facebook and I get teary-eyed with each one that I look at. In 2012 I posted Three Day Weekends and Memorial Day’s National Moment Of Remembrance which has a bit of information about Memorial Day. It is past 3:00 pm, but if you didn’t do it then, perhaps you can pause now. Since I wrote that post with information about the day, I just thought I would mention the day and send my thanks out, but then post about something else.

If you are interested in cats or you read my blog you may have seen that my hubby and I adopted cats in July of 2015. Not quite a year ago. It all started after it had been a year that our cat had died. My husband was patiently waiting for me to be “ready” to get another cat. I had always wanted a kitten so I had it in my head that is what we needed to get. But, then the idea of a young cat dawned on me. There are always cats that need adopting. About that same time my husband’s boss mentioned that her friend opened a “cat cafe” in San Jose.

I decided to go check it out. It was opened by two women, who ran it with the help of volunteers. So in addition to booking an hour of visiting, I was inspired to volunteer. As I mentioned in a few post this place was only going to be open for 4 weeks. I am not even sure how they ended up staying open for 6 months. Perhaps it was the begging and pleading of all of us that had visited it and loved it. Ann and Mary, to two women previously mentioned, realized that the community wanted and needed such a place. But really, since they had only planned on being open about a month, they went ahead with closing it down. I believe they were going to take some time to figure out what to do next.

Well, they are still looking for a bigger place, but for now they are open again in the previous location, which is in the Julian-St. James area of San Jose. The first day open was Saturday, May 28, 2016. I had nothing planned this weekend so I volunteered both Saturday and Sunday. They are not normally open on Mondays but they are open Memorial Day this year.

To start, they have ten cats. They range from small to large. Aside from the two who are taking their time adjusting to the new space (they are hiding under the couch) they are all very pet-able. Pretty much very friendly. Some of them seem to get along with other cats and some of them seem like they would be best as the only cat in the household, but that is what is so great about a place like this when looking to adopt.

This type of space helps you get a glimpse into what the individual cat’s true nature will be. Yes, there is always a chance that it might emerge entirely different when you get the cat home, but in general you can see who is bossy and who is timid. Who will let you approach them and who will play with the toys. We love our two cats. I think I saw pretty much their true personalities there. If you are not looking to adopt this is still a great place. You can just go and hang out with cats.It is a nice place to be with cats.

This time around the cats are being obtained from The Silicon Valley Pet Project which is a group of volunteers that save at-risk pets by placing them in foster homes or The Dancing Cat. In addition to saving the pets through rehabilitation and finding them homes, the project also works to educate the community in order to reduce the number of animals that end up in an “at-risk” situation.

If you like cats and you like to help out organizations that are helping the community, then make your reservations and go visit The Dancing Cat. You’ll be able to sit and visit with cats. And more-than-likely other people who like cats. I am hoping that this will be a huge success and a permanent fixture in San Jose.

I am thankful for the people who make the world a better place.

Posted in Cats | Tagged: adopted cats, Adoption help, Cat lounge, helping community, Memorial Day, National Moment Of Remembrance, San Jose cat cafe, Silicon Valley Pet Project, the dancing cat, volunteer | Leave a Comment »

Happy Cat Guardians

Posted by terrepruitt on May 25, 2016

Because it has been a while since I posted about my darling little cats, I thought I would share some pictures of them. They are very good cats even though they do “cat” things that I would prefer they not do. Such as pull the roses out of the vases or knock over the vases. And knocking things off of tables and counters. They, of course, are not allowed on places where we eat and/or have food, so that means tables and counters are off-limits. They do a good job of not being on them — while we are able to see, but often times in the morning there will be evidence that someone has been on one of those forbidden surfaces and knocked somethings down or even off. They are cats, they are curious. They get a scolding that barely interrupts their whatever-it-is-that-they-are-doing when said offense is discovered. But overall they are great girlies! I have hundreds of pictures of them. Most of the photos are of them while they are sleeping, they are so cute when they lie all over each other. We enjoy having them.

Also, it might be that I am inspired to do a cat post because the place where we found our two lovely cats is opening again. It is the adoption venue called The Dancing Cat. I used to call it a cat cafe, but they don’t really sell cafe food as do some cat cafes. I’ve seen them call it a cat lounge and that sounds good, but then people might not know what that is. In 2015 it was planned to be a 4 week “pop-up event”, but it proved to be a hit and ended up lasting 6 months. So they are bringing it back in the same place — for now. Information on the website says they are looking for a permanent location in San Jose. They are opening again on Saturday, May 28, 2016. You can make reservations and visit a cat.

We are super happy with our cats. They are fantastic girlies! It has not even been a year since we adopted them. I had been wondering how to get a cat because I had never been to a shelter to get an animal. Our cat, Spot, landed – literally – in our yard. She was an angel. So I didn’t know how to pick a cat. A place where you can go and visit with cats while they lounge around, play, and eat is so great. I was able to meet our cats and observe them for a few days. At first Smokey never came out of the bottom of one of the furnishings, but when a new cat came and ousted her she ended up high on a cat shelf.

Smokey is still a bit shy. She is not fond of being held, she will put up with it, she doesn’t throw a cat fit, but I don’t think it is her favorite thing. She likes to receive her hugs, kisses, and scratches while she is on the ground. She is also a heavy girl. Very solid. She also has a lot, I really mean A LOT to say. She has a lot on her mind and she shares often. She is very fast and a great catcher. If the doors are open in the house that is where she will be found, sitting by the open doors. Smokey is as sweet as can be.

Esmeralda is light as a feather and she proves it with her leaps and bounds. She is a little lover kitty and loves to be picked up and snuggled. She is not as talkative as her sister, but she does tell us when she wants something. She is not a “meower” but a mumbler. She “murphs”. She is the thinker.

They both seem to love each other. They play often. They run around the house at top speeds then stop and tumble around. They bathe each other and sleep together. Such cuties! We are happy.

Do you have pets? Where did you get your pet(s)?

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Smokey playing with two toys!

an Jose Cat Cafe, Cat adoption venue, Smokey and Esmeralda, Spot the cat, sister kitties

Every cat needs a matching boa!

Yin and Yang.

Beautiful Smokey!

Esmeralda and Smokey – sometimes Smokey just disappears into this blanket. Black on black.

Posted in Cats, Teagan and Nessa | Tagged: Cat adoption venue, San Jose cat cafe, sister kitties, Spot the cat, Teagan and Nessa | 6 Comments »

Cat Cafe In San Jose

Posted by terrepruitt on June 27, 2015

You may have heard of cat cafes, that is where someone can go, for a small fee, and visit with cats. According to Wiki, the first Cat Cafe was open in 1998 in Taiwan but they didn’t really become popular until 2004 when one opened in Japan. For those that have room for pets and have pets, a place where you pay to visit with a cat might sound weird. But when you think about it, it is not really any different from a petting zoo. And for some reason people think of petting zoos as completely normal. Again . . . think about it . . .it is much more “normal” to pet a cat than to pet a pig or a goat. So cat cafes make a lot of sense. They can be great for people who enjoy the company of a cat, but don’t have room. Or perhaps their present living situation is temporary and so they are not wanting to get a forever pet. It could be that they love cats, but live with someone who is allergic to them. There are many reasons a place that has cats you can visit is a good idea. There are Cat Cafes in Japan, Canada, Europe, and the United States. So . . . if you are inclined you might be able to find one near you. If you are near me, I can point one out to you. The Dancing Cat is in San Jose and is open for your pleasure.

For those of you that read my blog and/or know me . . . you probably picked up on how the name is very attractive to me. I mean the DANCING Cat.

I don’t know about the OTHER cat cafes, but The Dancing Cat is a temporary home to cats that are up for adoption. Every cat you see can be adopted. It is my thinking that visiting a cat in a nice relaxed atmosphere gives you a better chance to see the cat you are actually getting. I know some kitties might not act different from their true selves in a shelter or store, but I imagine most do. They might be scared or even just a little more cautious or reserved. Whereas in a little shop where they have run of the place you possibly get to see their actual personality.

At this writing the Dancing Cat plans to stay open only until August. I quizzed one of the co-owners on what it would take to keep it open longer and I think they are still working on what exactly they would need. But in the meantime they could use people visiting the cafe and paying the small fee of $10.00 per hour. They could use volunteers to help with the duties that come along with keeping a home for cats. As with most places they also accept flat out donations. So, if you are interested and able to do any of those things, please don’t hesitate. As I said, it it only around for a couple of months. Perhaps with support they will be able to make it a more permanent adventure.

This past Thursday was the year anniversary of our cat’s death. I am sure I am not alone in feeling that it is difficult to get a new pet – a new child. Spot was such a good kitty. Yesterday I went to visit the Dancing Cat and got so much good cat ju-ju. Cats are amazing animals. For over an hour I played with six cats. Not all six for the entire time, but I was able to interact with each one at least once. Cats are so fun to watch. Cats are so amazing with their concentration and their acrobatics. There were more than six at the facility, but four were off sleeping for most of the time. Two of the “sleepers” were actually awake, but in the quiet area of the cafe. When I went to peek in on them they were more than willing to present a belly for rubs.

The facility is so super cute. The two women running the show really did a nice job of making it a comfortable place for the cats and their admirers. They have free coffee and tea available. They even have a few snacks that you can purchase. They have a few items of merchandise you might be interested in. And they have cats. They definitely have cats. As I mentioned, there were 10 cats there, ranging from 10 months to 4 1/2 years (I believe). The cats DO get adopted so that information could change by the time you read this. So far they have adopted out 21 cats. Can you imagine what they could do as word gets out? They could end up pairing off dozens of cats with cat lovers.

Ann, one of the women who opened the shop, excitedly told me that the adoptions that have happened so far were perfect pairings. The cats and the people/families matched up well. This is a very important thing when adopting out or adopting a pet. It needs to work. Personalities need to be mesh-able. So, that is why I think a Cat Cafe is awesome. Cats and people get to meet and get to know each other a bit before committing

I really enjoyed my visit and that is the reason I am posting this. I asked if I could write a post to share what is going on and that is what I am doing. I hope, if cats are something that interest you, that you will go visit and socialize with the wonderful cats and wonderful people who are there!

What do you think of Cat Cafes? Would you visit a cafe if there was one near you?