I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw that there was a Cat Cafe opening near us. Volunteering at Humane Societies has always been a favorite activity of our family, but we had never heard of a Cat Cafe– I know, crazy! Have you? Well, here is the description of from our local Cat Cafe, Purr and Pour:
—Purr & Pour is PURRfect for cat lovers that need a feline fix, whether you’re adopting or just relaxing with our 12-15 adorable homeless cats from Saint Frances Animal Center (SFAC). We’ve got comfortable seating, Wi-Fi and lots of Cats + Coffee + Kindness but NO CAGES. All of our cats have been spayed/neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and wellness checked by SFAC. Our separate The No-Cat-Zone Cafe has coffee, tea, beer, wine, sandwiches, charcuterie, and yummy desserts.—
You had me at Cats, Coffee, and Charcuterie ❤ Not only that, but the kids are major cat fans, and the feline friends are at the top of their favorite animal list, for sure! When we were living in Massachusetts and homeschooling a few years ago, we attempted to set up a weekly scheduled time for the kids to read to the cats. It never got off the ground, but my oldest son has asked if we can do it here in South Carolina for the next school year. Absolutely, it will be PAW-SOME!–hehe. I have already planned on setting this up with one of the local shelters, but I’m so pleased that we have the Purr and Pour Cat Cafe to add to our routine.
This is such an important part of the areas of self-care, by contributing to mental, physical, and social health. What’s more, it can be a tremendous help for children with learning and behavioral challenges. A goal I have for my children is to increase their confidence with reading, and to eventually read for pleasure. By providing them with the opportunity to pair one of their favorite activities of playing with cats with reading will hopefully promote this outcome. The cats aren’t judging, they are just thrilled to be in our company. We, of course want to also teach compassion and care for sweet animals and this fits the bill.
And if you’re looking for the science to back up the benefits, check out what Purr and Pour Cat Cafe says about that:
—According to FutureMedica, American Veterinarian and peer review studies, connecting with cats can improve health by: Lowering risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attacks and strokes; Improving immune function; Reducing blood pressure; Helping with depression, reducing stress, anxiety and loneliness; Preventing asthma in children; and Helping with autism by providing social and emotional benefits.—
Also check out the 11 Studies that Prove Pets are Good for Your Health
and the NIH’s Power of Pets article which lists the Health Benefits of Human-Animal Interactions.
So what are you waiting for? Take some time for your self-care, and that of your family’s and go visit a Cat Cafe; it will be amazing, Fur-Real!
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Be well,
Sara ~Fresh Foodie Mama~
Fresh Foodie Mama 