Georgia Magazine - July 2018 - 31

Happy Tabby Cat Cafe

Doobie found his perfect forever home after
residing at Java Cats Cafe in Atlanta.

Purrvana Cafe and Cat Lounge

creating a therapeutic experience for
her customers as well as the cats.
"We are going through a rough
time in our country," Hill says. "People are very divided, and I think we
all need a little boost sometimes. If
[Happy Tabby] can give people a bit
of solace and escape from all that,
they can come here, read, study or
just forget about all of the problems
of the world for a little while."
Hill cites several studies that have
shown interaction with cats to be
beneficial in dealing with depression,
dementia and other conditions.
The sunny, wide-open cat room
at Happy Tabby is a calming haven
for cats and people. It's paradise for
cats-covered with hanging bridges,

1402 Barnard St., Savannah
purrvanacafe.com; (912) 777-4670
When Patricia Underwood began
renovating a historic property in Savannah's Victorian district, she wasn't
quite sure what to do with it. But
during a family vacation to Portland,
Ore., a new calling became clear.
While browsing the web for tourist activities in Portland, one of Underwood's daughters came across a
post featuring the city's new cat cafe.
"Before that, I'd never even heard
of a cat cafe," Underwood says. "But
we just instantly fell in love with the
idea."
Underwood, a lifelong animal
lover and frequent volunteer, decided
a cat cafe would be a perfect fit for
her quirky hometown.

CAMERON WHITLOCK

COURTESY PURRVANA CAFE AND CAT LOUNGE

529 Irwin St. N.E., Atlanta
happytabbycatcafe.com;
(678) 640-4404
If sipping a glass of wine while
stroking a purring cat is your idea
of heaven, Happy Tabby Cat Cafe is
the place for you. Situated in Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward neighborhood,
Happy Tabby is the only cat cafe in
Georgia-and one of the few in the
nation-to boast a full liquor license.
Owner April Hill opened Happy
Tabby last August with the goal of

cozy beds, toys and enough vertical
space to accommodate up to 25 cats.
Happy Tabby hosts a plethora of
events, including yoga with cats, private therapy sessions, movie nights
and even speed dating.
"I think the space is so important," Hill says. "It's not a zoo. We
aren't here just to watch and poke
and prod at the cats. This is their
home, and we have to respect that."
Happy Tabby's cats are all rescues, hailing from Furkids Animal
Rescue & Shelters in Doraville. To
date, the cafe has found forever
homes for more than 50 cats.

CAMERON WHITLOCK

combining a live-animal experience
with food service.
"The food aspect of it was just
not profitable, and the city of Buford
was just not going to give us a permit to do food sales with cats here in
the building," Marcioni says. "Nobody
had seen or heard of a cat cafe in
Georgia."
Instead, Marcioni and Cat Rangers created a hybrid sanctuary/cafe,
where rescue cats can thrive away
from the stress of a typical shelter.
Marcioni, a trained animal behaviorist, emphasizes the benefits of
adopting cats in a "normalized environment."
"When someone comes in to
adopt from us, they are seeing the
cats' true personalities," she says.
"They aren't meeting a traumatized
cat or a cat that's been in a cage or a
retail store."

Ross, who was adopted in June, gets comfortable at Purrvana Cafe
and Cat Lounge in Savannah. People are drawn to the cafe not only
for the cats but also for its historic building and antique furnishings.
July 2018

Co-founder of La Maison du Chat Sparrow Marcioni, left, and Cat
Rangers adoption coordinator Bonnie Maxon mingle with cats Jazzy
and Camy in one of the many rooms of La Maison's Victorian estate.

More online at www.georgiamagazine.org

http://www.purrvanacafe.com http://www.happytabbycatcafe.com http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - July 2018