Hollie Bowler-Brown started the Feline Good Cat Cafe after a period of turmoil in early 2015. While dealing with internal struggles, she went with her husband to London when he needed to visit the city for work. A family member suggested that Hollie should visit one of London's cat cafes. After feeling so much pain, she felt safer and more at home in the cat cafe than she had in quite some time.
Hollie began recovering, and the thought of bringing a cat cafe to Wales was never far from her mind. It wasn't long before her idea evolved into a notebook full of ideas, then a business plan, and then a crowdfunding campaign that raised £8,000 from the public. Today, the Feline Good Cat Cafe is up and running in Wales and Hollie can hardly believe that in under three years her dream has become a reality.
About the cafe:
Hollie wanted to create a home away from home for cat lovers - and it was really important to her that the cafe's cats were rescue cats. The cafe works closely with cat rescues who are invaluable sources of information and advice.
Some cat cafes are full of pedigree cats or dedicated to one specific breed of cat. With so many healthy, happy, and loving cats sitting in rescue centers, the idea of buying cats for her cafe didn't sit right with Hollie. Instead, every cat in the Feline Good Cat Cafe is a rescue that found itself homeless at some point. Now, they're cats with a loving home and plenty of people to care for them.
Feline Good Cat Cafe offers full table service in the cafe, meaning the cafe's staff comes to you and takes your order. Guests can enjoy tea, cake, sandwiches, or the cafe's popular afternoon tea package. The staff is friendly and helpful; they're happy to chat, encourage guests to interact with the cats, and make sure everyone is having a great time.
The hope is to either expand to a different, larger location or open more Feline Good cat cafes. The goal is doing things properly and setting the benchmark for cat well-being by creating a place where cat people feel welcomed and comfortable. The cafe hosts events like art nights and board game nights that are already proving immensely popular while working on ways to expand and do more events.
How to visit:
If you wish to visit the cafe, booking is strongly recommended since it can get very busy and the cafe can only see a limited number of people per day - this is to prevent any stress on the lovely cats. Drop-ins can occasionally be accommodated, so it's worth popping in if you're in the area.
Guests will come to the door and wait in a secure "air lock" area - this is an internally locked door that only staff can open when the outer door is closed to prevent any feline escapes! Guests then have their hands sanitized before undergoing a safety briefing of the house rules, which are there for the safety and comfort of guests and kitties alike.
Feline Good is open Tuesday-Sunday. The cafe takes Monday off to give the cats some rest and allow time for a deep cleaning. There's plenty of parking nearby and the cafe is fully wheelchair accessible.
How you can help:
More than anything, Feline Good was created to promote well-being through the company of cats. Readers are asked to always consider adopting a cat and to support organizations that help cats who have sadly found themselves without a loving family for reasons beyond their control.
