A new feline-centered business is coming to Connecticut.
The Purrfect Lounge, a space for people to hang out with eight adoptable rescue cats, is set to open Saturday on 17 Farmington Ave. in Plainville.
The 1,000-square-foot lounge will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. during opening day, and customers must reserve a 50-minute time slot online to play with the cats, owner Samantha Otero said. The business is not to be confused with a cat café, as she will not sell food and drinks, Otero said.
Otero, a New Britain resident and home care nurse for Hartford HeathCare, hopes the lounge will serve as a place for people to unwind and will encourage customers to adopt rescue cats.
Her first cat, a white and orange kitten named Caramel, had an uncanny ability to cheer her up when she felt overwhelmed growing up. She's seen cats have the same effect on her home care patients and three children. Her two cats Tommy and Smokey especially help destress and regulate the emotions of her eldest daughter, who has autism spectrum disorder.
"I think it can help a lot of people who have depression, anxiety (and) decrease cardiovascular diseases," she said. "It's a great cause. It's helping kitties, helping humans...it's perfect."
The furry residents come from The Simon Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit rescue organization in Bloomfield, and they have been spayed or neutered, as well as received all the appropriate shots and behavioral assessments. The Simon Foundation is near Otero's hometown of Hartford and she's admired its work for years, as she's passionate about helping combat overcrowding in animal shelters, Otero said.
The first four residents of lounge are Fluffy, Elphaba, Lebowski and Bohdi, with more furry felines set to arrive later this week.
The lounge will consist of a TV, a cat wheel, towers, scratch poles, wall furniture, as well as benches and chairs for customers. There will be a separate room for sleep and littering. Local artist Amanda Mendoza painted black paw prints on the walls of the reception area and a mural featuring cats in various poses, Otero said.
Customers can also reserve a spot for paint night with the cats on March 29 from 6-8 p.m. Otero plans on making paint nights and yoga with the cats a regular activity.
Otero appreciates the wave of support and positivity from her children and fellow cat lovers. She announced the opening date on social media on Sunday and has 30 bookings for March, as of Wednesday.
"Everyone's excited. There's a lot of sharing going on Facebook and Instagram," she said.
The Plainville cat lounge opening comes shortly after Perk and Paws Cat Cafe in Torrington opened in late November. Other Connecticut businesses that allow patrons to hang out with cats include Marcie’s Angels Cat Café in Glastonbury, which opened in August, Mew Haven Cat Cafe and All the Single Kitties in Old Saybrook.
The Purrfect Lounge will be open Wednesday through Fridays from 3-7 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m.-7 p.m., with an two-hour break in between.