Lola on the Road: The Cat Parlour (Pawtucket, RI)

Welcome to the fifth post in our series “Lola on the Road”. Throughout the summer I’ll be visiting several cat cafes and sharing my experiences with our readers. Coffee and cats; two of my favorite things! If you missed the last installment in the series, you can read about El Gato Coffee House here. 

I continue to be in awe of every cafe I visit. Each one brings me a new awareness of how dedicated the owners of the cafes are, and a greater appreciation of the hard work that happens behind the scenes. 

Today I'm happy to share a wonderful cafe with you, The Cat Parlour in Pawtucket, RI. 

I had remained undecided about visiting The Cat Parlour for several weeks. Since it was a pop up that was only open for a limited time, I didn’t really know what to expect, and I wanted to make sure it would be a successful visit after a four hour road trip. (I met my friend in CT, which is a two hour drive from me, and then we made another two hour drive to RI.) Both my friend and I were impressed with everything and we were very glad we went. As you read on you’ll see why.

The Cat Parlour was brought to life by Angelika Pellegrino, an amazing young woman in her early 20’s. In 2016 Angelika became a cat lady overnight when she adopted her two cats. As she started to research “all things cats” she discovered a cat cafe was slated to open in Providence, but never did. She thought to herself “Why can’t I do that?", and her journey to open The Cat Parlour began. More about her journey in a bit.

The Cat Parlour opened its doors on April 28, 2018 for a three month limited engagement in an artist’s loft in the historic Lorraine Mills in Pawtucket, RI. Upon walking in, you entered a large, bright and airy, open space...

... with plenty of space for guests to play with the cats. 

In addition to benches, there were lots of cushions that guests could use to sit on the floor and get down to the cats' level. Guests were able to enjoy free coffee and other beverages, as well as delicious pastries, brownies and donuts that were purchased from a nearby bakery. 

On the day my friend and I visited, there were seven cats in house (three adults and four kittens.) Meet Bud.

This little guy had a vivacious purrsonality, sweet disposition, and was full of spunk. It was amazing that someone hadn’t scooped him up already.  

The kittens were still in the socialization process, and for a while felt safer underneath a chair. They eventually ventured out and enjoyed some play time. 

Lavender

Rocky

If the video doesn't play you can watch it on Youtube here. 
The process of opening the cafe was a lengthy one for Angelika. She signed the lease in May of 2017 and started the process of learning about zoning laws. She also began to contact rescues in an attempt to partner with them. Some were more receptive than others, and ultimately she partnered with Paws Watch for the kittens and Rhode Island SPCA for the adults. 

Angelika, who graduated college in 2017 and likes "to do things people say I can't do", was excited to bring her passion project to the community. She decided on starting on a limited engagement basis to see how the community responded. (When I visited on June 30, 350 visitors had walked through the doors. I would say the community responded well!) She also wanted to evaluate the experience and try to form relationships with more rescues. 

The space needed renovation before the cafe was able to open, and Angelika (who works full time for the Department of Labor) paid for everything herself. That's how dedicated she was to this project. She did a beautiful job creating a space that was peaceful and inviting for visitors and fun and safe for the cats. 

This cat sized door leads to the back room where cats can use the powder room, or just take a break. It was also a popular place for play. 

There were plenty of toys to keep both the two and four-legged occupied. 

A game of Cat-Opoly, anyone? 

 This is Peaches, (also known as Jenny). 

Peaches/Jenny bonded with Snowball, also known as Forest. (Get it? Jenny and Forest?) 

Jenny's favorite place was the cabinet. 

Forest was trying to figure out why. 

I have some great news to share - Jenny and Forest were adopted together, and are enjoying their forever home! 
The Cat Parlour was very popular amongst college students, who would purchase a day pass and bring their laptops to study. The cafe ordered pizza, and a good time was had by all. (And hopefully, some studying got done as well!) The Felines and Finals events were so popular there was a waitlist. 

Brown University was very supportive of the cafe and very involved in the student activities. The advertising was done through Facebook and by word of mouth, and the response was "amazing." 
Another "paw-pulor" event was Meowvie Night. Watching a good movie with some popcorn and a cat curled up in my lap sounds like a great night to me. 
This beautiful girl is Stella. When Stella was surrendered by her owner her fur was so matted she needed to be shaved. She was recovering from a bad upper respiratory infection when I was there, and was a little sneezy and stuffy. 

A little URI didn't deter her new forever family from adopting her! 

Angelicka's greatest joy has been seeing cats go to their forever home. Hanging out with cats is her dream job. "It doesn't feel like a job when I'm here." 

Angelika told me most of her friends have been really supportive of her work at the cafe. She said she did lose some in the process because of her time constraints, and she had pretty much given up her social life, but wouldn't trade it for anything. "Those who count, wait." 

Angelicka says "If you have an idea, you have to follow it, even if it means taking a risk. This has been an amazing experience." And I think Angelika is an amazing person. She delved into The Cat Parlour with her whole heart, spent her own money, and helped a lot of cats - and people, too. She had a dream and wasn't afraid to follow it. 
My friend and I were so inspired by Angelika, and impressed with her determination and maturity. I hope she can continue her dream by opening the cafe permanently. 

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Stay tuned for the next installment in our Cat Cafe series as Lola The Rescued Cat goes on the road. The next cafe to be featured will be Tiny Lions Lounge and Adoption Center in Ann Arbor, MI. 
Have you ever been to a cat cafe? Tell us about your experiences! 
You may notice something a little different in this post. I used slide shows, and the images are a little smaller. Tell me what you think. 
Dawn