Today we’d like to introduce you to Robin Kent.
Hi Robin, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
After I retired, I took a number of volunteer positions with different organizations. One of my volunteer positions was at Purrmaid Cafe & Adoption Center, which was owned by my friend Nikki Ruhl. I worked with Nicky for close to a year, and when she decided to relocate, my husband and I made the decision to take over permit. We had both entertained the idea of doing either rescue work or opening a sanctuary at some point in our lives. We’ve both been active in adopting and fostering, special-needs, cats, and cats who are medically challenged, for years. Taking over as the owners of Purrmaid Cafe & Adoption Center just made perfect sense.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
We always say that working and rescue is not for the faint of heart. During our first year of operation, we had to close the café for a month when the cats came down with a virus. We didn’t want them being stressed by having visitors, and we didn’t want the visitors, bringing their virus home to their own cats.
The year after that, one of the cats figured out how to break the ceiling tile and go up into the drop ceiling of our suite. All of the cats had followed that one cat into the ceiling, so the day I came to work and discovered this, I couldn’t find a single cat at the café. Then I saw the broken tiles and knew I had the work cut out for me to get those cats back on land. It took close to two months to get all of the cats down from the ceiling.
Last year, we had to close for a couple of months because we had a slow leak in one of the pipes in the wall, and the contractors ended up, having to take down most of the drywall to remediation of mold, and then fix the drywall and repaint. That knocked us out of commission for almost 2 months.
We also learned the hard way not to say yes, during kitten season. We ended up one year with something like 20 kittens who needed to be spayed or neutered and fully vetted before they could come to the café. We had to pitch a tent in our living room to accommodate these kittens during this process.
We’ve been impressed with Purrmaid Cafe & Adoption Center , but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Purrmaid is a nonprofit Cat Cafe, whose mission is to find loving responsible homes for cats in our community. We typically have anywhere from 10 to 15 cats in residence at the café, and all of those cats are adoptable. The cats live at the café and are never in cages, which allows visitors to get to know them any more Homies setting. This sets us apart from most shelters in which the cats are kept in cages.
Because we have a large senior population in our area, we offer free visits for seniors on Wednesdays. We are very proud of this aspect of our business because it allows our neighbors to come and socialize with the cats and with each other and feel that they are part of this community.
We are very proud of our reputation among other shelters and animal professionals in our community. We are consistently nominated for our community choice awards and have one best shelter animal rescue and best nonprofit several years running now.
We also have a great reputation for our baked goods, which are homemade. Our sugar cookies shaped like cats, our chocolate chip cookies, and our lemon curd muffins have a devoted following.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was a quiet, bookish kid growing up. I loved cats, and it seems our family almost always had one or two. My first cat was a huge, stray named Blackie, who followed me around when I rode my scooter. He made quite an impression because later, as an adult, I always tended to have a black cat. As a kid, I liked nothing better than to sit in a shady spot, read a book, and pet whatever cat happened to be near me.
I also really like to write stories and illustrate them. I think this characteristic is why I ended up becoming an English major instead of a veterinarian. I also still really value Art and our café has dedicated several walls to local artists so that they can sell their creations.
Pricing:
- $6 per person per half hour
- $1 for cookies or muffins
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Purrmaidcatcafe.com
- Instagram: @purrmaidcafe&adoptioncenter
- Facebook: Purrmaid Cafe and Adoption Center
