Just in time for cooler weather set to hit the region, you’ll soon be able to snuggle up with a cat inside a cozy café. Following a surge in popularity in Toronto, now it’s our turn. That’s right – cat lovers can rejoice as a cat café is set to open in Barrie next month. Pawsitive Cattitude Café will welcome feline enthusiasts to enjoy a warm beverage and cuddle with a cat. Co-owners Josie Fabreo and Cecilia Cabrera teamed up after connecting through volunteer work. It all started when Fabreo, who owns Grillicious in Barrie, was looking to open a second business. Cabrera, who volunteered at the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), was hosting a workshop for youth on learning how to cook and Fabreo happened to be the teacher. Meanwhile, Cabrera and her daughter, Gabriella Briére, were out in Markham and found themselves inside a cat café. “We fell in love with the energy,” Cabrera tells CTV News. Briére says she had suggested to her mum as a joke that they should open a cat café. That’s when the mother-daughter duo went to Fabreo and seriously asked her if she’d be interested in opening up a cat café. “It was a joke but it turned into a reality,” Briére says. Briére, just 13 years old, has a keen interest in animals having dabbled in a veterinarian assistant course her mum had enrolled in. As if the universe was aligning, a unit directly beside Grillicious opened for rent and that’s when the plan was solidified. The objectives for the cat café will be to get the cats adopted and provide a therapeutic and safe outlet for people in the community. Recently confirmed, the new café has partnered with Comfy Cats in Orillia for a six-month trial, starting with four cats. The co-owners plan on increasing to between six and 10 cats. The duo hopes to partner with Furry Friends in Barrie in future. There will be one room designated for the cats and the other room for beverages. “Our goal is a place where people can stay, relax, come in to pet the cats. It’s therapeutic. It relieves stress,” says Fabreo. The pair hopes to offer unique treats and beverages to create a multicultural all-inclusive environment. The team is diverse with Cabrera being Spanish, Briére as Quebecois and Fabreo is Filipino. Cabrera, who holds a diploma in child psychology, says they plan to hold events for children with autism and other special needs. “I want to make it is a place where everyone is welcome and accepted,” says Briére. Briére has not only designed the logo for the new business, but will be working in the cat room, ensuring the animals are treated respectfully. To assist with adopting, she’ll be keeping a close eye for any bonding happening between animals and humans. The new café will be at 1 Marsellus Drive Unit 10 in Barrie’s south end with an anticipated opening date of Dec. 5.
