Johnson County coffee- and cat-lovers can now get both their fixes at the new Second Cup Cat Café in Olathe.
Where exactly: Second Cup Cat Café opened earlier this fall at Suite H at 417 North Rawhide Drive, just off Interstate 35 north of Santa Fe Street.
- The café neighbors Melissa’s Menagerie — a pet boarding service also owned by the café’s owner, Melissa Kreisler.
- Kreisler also owns Melissa’s Second Chances — a nonprofit animal rescue shelter in Shawnee.
The café is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
How it works: Patrons can make a reservation of up to one hour at the café, either on their own or in a group.
- The café typically has 15 to 20 cats inside at a time.
- Reservations are $15 for adults and free for children five and under.
- The reservation comes with a complimentary beverage of choice, including coffee, tea, soda or lemonade.
All of the cats at Second Cup Cat Café are from Kreisler’s Shawnee shelter and are up for adoption.
Why a cat café?
In her 30 years working in pet shelters, Kreisler says she has found that cats typically have more difficulty getting adopted than dogs did because they don’t socialize as easily in shelters.
- Cats tend to be more comfortable in open spaces like a cafe, she said, which may help them connect with potential new owners.
In her own words: “In a space like this, they’re comfortable and they have lots of things to do,” she said. “I think it’s the future of helping cats find homes. Dogs just show better in those other environments where cats just tend to struggle.”
