Magnificent mews! N.L.'s first cat caf is open for business

Newfoundland and Labrador's first cat cafofficially opened its doors Wednesday on DuckworthStreet in downtown St. John's, and people wasted no time in checking it out.

"It's been quite a while coming, but we're excited to finally be opening the doors and welcoming people in," Colin Williams, co-owner of the Mad CatterCafe, toldCBCNews on Wednesday.

"It's been very busy so far. We've got about 90 people booked in for today."

Williams said it was stressful preparing to open the doors for the first time, but added it was nice to finally serve the first customer.

Those visitors foundthe coffee and treats including feline-shaped cookies you'd expect at any downtown coffee shop.

However, the caf, which was announced in July, also doubles as a place to visit, or even adopt, cats, all of which come from St. John's Humane Service's Animal Care and Adoption Centre.

The four-legged critters are held in a separate roomaway from the storefront,where customers can watch the felines through a windowor head inside to enjoy their beverageswith potential new housemates.

Finding homes for furry friends

The main idea behind the business isn't just coffee and baked goods. Williams says it's more about creating a comfortable environment for the cats while they wait to get adopted.

"It's basically a space for cat lovers and coffee lovers alike. They can come in and just grab a coffee to go, or they can come in and interact with the cats," he said.

"Shelters do everything they can, and they do a great job, but a shelter environment of course isn't a home environment. So we try to make this a little bit of a cross between the two."

With files from the St. John's Morning Show

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