Actress and model Rachel Anne knew she wanted to invest in a property, but it was her love of cats that inspired the idea of a cat cafe. Montreal, Canada introduced the first cat cafe in North America back in 2014. A little less than a decade later, cat cafes are now a popular spot globally for young adults and felines alike. These types of places benefit both the animals being put up for adoption and the cafe's customers (blog.ferplast.com). Fortunately for those of us in the Capital Region, a new cat cafe is coming to Rotterdam at the five corners area!

Google Street View
Google Street View
loading...

Back in December, Rachel Anne bought the former Bank of America building at 370 Mariaville Road in Rotterdam for $345,000. Her plan now is to split the property into two: 1,430 square feet for the cat cafe/adoption center and roughly 2,700 square feet for another tenant to lease. Having volunteered and fostered with the local nonprofit organization Kitten Angels for nine years, it only made sense to partner with them. The plan is to put about 15 adoptable cats in the cafe to bring awareness to the friendly felines in need of a home. The building process has begun on what is soon to be "The Pretty Paw Lounge", with a projected opening date of May 1, 2023 (Sam Raudens, bizjournals.com).

Take a look at some of the progress they've made in building the cat cafe:

Once the cat cafe is up and running, customers can book 30-60 minute time slots with the cats for a fee, probably in the $15-$25 range according to Rachel Anne. The cat lounge area will be separated from the cafe by large windows (Sam Raudens, bizjournals.com). All adoption fees will go to Kitten Angels, and if you'd like to see more details about their organization you can view their website.

The cafe will be open 5 days a week for visiting the cats, as well as bookable for private events such as children's birthday parties, wine & cheese cocktail hour or yoga nights! -Kitten Angels via Facebook

Illegal Pets To Own In New York State

Eight Natural Tick Repellents Safe For Humans And Pets

Toxic Valentines Day Flowers to Keep Away From Your Pets

Though pretty, these flowers are prone to cause issues with dogs and cats, so if you're thinking about gifting one of these to your special someone, make sure you don't let the animals get to them!

More From 107.7 WGNA