Rooney and I met 6 years ago, and he changed my life. Rooney was a very timid cat in need of a home. I took him in and fell in love with him instantly, his endless fluff and his perfect pink nose had me hooked! He was so scared of people that he used to cower behind the sofa, purring to comfort himself. Over the years he’s gone from strength to strength and now he’s bold as brass…but the strange thing is, it’s not just Rooney who’s been healed. He has brought me so much joy and comfort through some difficult times. I am convinced this happiness-inducing, inter-species bonding can help others too – human and animal - please help us to create a space for that magic to happen.
Your donation will help us bring a cat café to the South… one with a difference… one that improves lives by promoting kindness through animal welfare, ethical eating, volunteering and community projects.
Pause Cat Cafe will be a peaceful retreat where you can connect and make friends (human and animal!), know that you are doing good, and be served excellent quality, healthy, kind food and drink.
We need a little help from our friends!
Rooney and I have already raised £105,000 through loans and investors (I did the raising while Rooney kept me sane with lots of cuddles and purrs), but we need a minimum of £130,000 to make this happen; which I'm hoping is where the kindness of people like you comes in. Please help us create this happiness haven...a lot of blood sweat and tears has gone in to getting us this far (OK, luckily not much blood yet - I'm guessing that will come during the refurbishment!) but we need some help to get us off the starting blocks.
£25,000 will go to creating the purrfect ambience for our rescue cats:
- Decorating the premises with enough exercise and play equipment, high hiding places, their own areas for when they don't feel sociable, cat-care room, bedding and cleaning.
- Expert advisors including animal behaviourists, vets, welfare and rescue charities.
- All of the healthcare rescue kitties need including vaccinations, treatments, medications and micro-chipping.
...and creating the purrfect ambience for you:
- Refurbishing the cafe (it's just an empty shell) so that it has floors, ceilings and somewhere comfy to sit while you while away the hours in kitty-heaven.
- Creating the layout to make extra sure that food prep is contained away from any hungry kitties, so your food arrives pristine and cat-free.
- Installing air-conditioning, air purifiers, ventilation and temperate control so we stay as fresh as the seaside breeze.
What's in it for you?
Aside from being a part of something magical; we've thought of a few thank you's to sweeten the deal and show you how much we appreciate your support. The more whacky ones are Rooney's ideas - see if you can guess which ones!
- Name a cat
- Attend a pre-opening and meet the cats first
- VIP card for the cafe
- Pre-book your visit
- A signed (paw-printed) Rooney mug (not the footballer, the fluffy one)
- Some gifts from you to the cats, that you can see when you visit
The Impact
Jaya's perspective: "There are many cat-lovers out there, some of whom may not even know that they are cat-lovers yet. Some people can't have pets because of where they live, their lifestyle, or being away from home. Pause Cat Cafe will be a place for people to experience the healing serenity of being around cats, and all of the benefits they brings: enhancing your mood, relieving stress, increasing joy and happiness."
Rooney's perspective: "There are many people-loving cats out there, some of whom may not have found their 'forever home' yet. Pause Cat Cafe will be a place for cats to be well-cared for, loved and attended to, with all of their needs met. Lots of fun toys to climb on, people to show off too and comfy places to rest when it's time for a cat-nap. As well as caring for our resident cats, we want to improve lives for other cats too, by sharing information about how to look after cats and by promoting adoption."
Other Ways You Can Help
If you'd like to help Rooney and I on our mission, please get in touch. We need all kinds of skilled help to make Pause purrfect.
Please share and spread the word as much as possible online and in conversation..,get kitty-chatting! Indiegogo have made it super easy with their share tools.
