The Litterary Kitty Cat Cafe was set into motion by a tragedy. In November of 2024 our 31 year old son died of complications from Cholangiocarcinoma - a rare bile duct cancer. He loved cats and reading, as does the whole family. We started volunteering at a local cat shelter and after working with the cats for a couple weeks began trying to figure out a way to get more cats out of cages and into loving homes. We had visited several Cat Cafes and starting thinking that could be a great way to accomplish our goal - and The Litterary Kitty was born.

The Litterary Kitty focuses on the “Cat” part of Cat Cafe. Our mission is “To get shelter cats out of cages and into loving homes” and that is our top priority. The stress-busting, relaxation and heart healthy benefits to humans is a undeniable byproduct. We will have a vending machine and offer coffee, tea and soft drinks and perhaps some packaged treats, but will not be preparing food onsite.

The “theme” is a comfy home library space, filled with cat-themed books, cozy seating, warm lighting and 8-10 cats (we will probably start with 6 at first). All cats will be adoptable, but visitors are not required to be potential adopters - playing and interacting with the cats is open to all who visit. We will hold special events, such as Meditating with Cats (in person and online); Book Clubs for adults and youngsters; Reading to The Cats for early readers to practice their reading skills; Birthday Parties and Private Meetings with the Cats.

But here’s the catch…..we need a space! Everything is ready to go -

• There is a need (so many cats needing homes!)

• There is interest (every person I’ve talked to is excited about a Cat Cafe in our area!)

• There is a business plan (so clear in my mind!)

• There is a source for cats (local cat shelters)

But there is no physical space! The Litterary Kitty is looking for it own “Forever Home”

This picture shows an example of our dream space. We are currently raising money for a downpayment with the goal of purchasing, rather than renting, a house. We have been looking in Plainfield, Illinois, but are open to other locations in the South/Southwest suburbs of Chicago if the perfect place appears.

The plan is to have the Cat Cafe downstairs, which will have a cat visiting area, a private space for the cats to get away from the stress of the visiting area, an intake space for new cats, and ideally a separate area for us to work with promising “Angry Birds” (cats not quite socialized enough for the visiting area) until they are ready to join the Cat Cafe crowd. Another space for storage will be necessary, preferably in a basement.

Upstairs will be home to a caretaker, so the cats will never be totally alone.

Read on to discover the benefits of interacting with cats and ways that you can help make this space come to life. To stay in the loop, sign up for our email list. Keep an eye on this space for updates and added information as the Litterary Kitty grows.