Editor’s Note: Reporter Sona Lamoreaux has volunteered at the Brooklyn Cat Café. This disclosure is made to inform readers of any potential bias in the reporting.
The Brooklyn Cat Café on Montague Street in Brooklyn, New York, is a perfect blend of things people love: cats and snacks. Opened in May 2016, it is the perfect spot for cat lovers to unwind and even look for a cat to adopt.
If you’re considering adoption, you can spend time with adoptable cats to see if they are the one for you. An intern at the café, Ms. Bea, emphasized why someone should visit the café.
“You could meet a cat you want to adopt,” said Bea. “It’s a little bit of money, but it benefits the café and helps rescue cats that need spaying, neutering, and other surgeries.”
All funds go toward providing medical help for the cats and keeping the café open and thriving.
Many Art and Design students are cat people. Harley Dixon, a freshman at Art and Design High School with a tuxedo cat named Lolly, explained why she likes cats.
“Because they’re more attuned to quiet personalities and they’re not loud. Well, I mean, it depends, but they’re not very vocal unless they really want something. They’re less startled.”
Many students are drawn to cats’ personalities. “[I like cats] because they’re more relaxed, they’re less excited,” said Audrey Collado, a freshman with an American shorthair cat named Mozart.
According to Dogster, around 80 to 90 percent of cats in New York aren’t spayed or neutered, while about 500,000 to 1 million cats live on the streets. As the years go by, the number of street cats rapidly increases, leading to more deaths from factors like car accidents, starvation, and illness.
Anne Levin, executive director of the Brooklyn Cat Café, explains why it’s important to spay or neuter a cat.
“There’s an estimated 500,000 to 2 million street cats. If they’re not spayed and neutered, over 2 million kittens are born each year. Most will die, leading to many deaths and bad outcomes. Spaying and neutering is the only effective way to reduce suffering for outdoor cats.”
People buy cats from backyard breeders, possibly seeking hypoallergenic cats or specific breeds. However, backyard breeding keeps animals in tiny cages without necessary resources, supporting animal abuse and leaving animals in poor health.
Adopting fights animal abuse and avoids creating more neglected animals. “You should adopt because a lot of times they’ve been bred in unethical conditions, and giving breeders more business means they can breed more cats,” said interns and employees from the Brooklyn Cat Café.
Buying from a pet store or backyard breeder contributes to unethical breeding. Art and Design students interviewed were aware that adopting is better for cat welfare.
“Adopting animals is better than shopping because many animals need homes and they have specific needs. Shopping leaves them alone,” said Dixon.
The Brooklyn Cat Café doubles as a cat shelter and a clinic for spaying or neutering cats in need. Helping the café by donating, visiting, or adopting makes a significant difference toward an ethical future.
“I think it’s fun. People want to support the rescue and are interested in the work we do,” said Anne Levin, lead director of the Brooklyn Cat Café.
If you’re ever looking to adopt or just spend time with lovable cats, the Brooklyn Cat Café is the perfect place for you.
