Falkirk's first cat cafe set to open with aim of boosting community's mental health

The Kit-tea Cafe in Cockburn Street and its feline residents will welcome their first human visitors from Saturday, April 20.

The cafe, which has been set up by Becky Donnelly and her family, aims to provide mental health benefits for the local community as well as raising awareness of cat welfare issues in Scotland.

Becky, 40, said: “As a family we have had cats our whole life. Unfortunately we lost our last cat Barney last year, he was 16.

"Cats are literally magical. The relief and comfort they have brought us as a family over the years has been huge and we wanted to do something to share that and help other people.

"Just being in the presence of cats brings relief, comfort and joy, providing a boost for people’s mental health, improving their mood and energy levels.

"There are cat cafes in Edinburgh and Glasgow, but we thought we’d bring one to Falkirk.

"We’ve spent the last year researching the best way to go about it. There’s been a lot of work to do, and my husband Chris has been very supportive. We’re excited to be opening and looking forward to people coming in and meeting the fur babies.”

Becky, who is running the cafe with her daughters Sammy and Elle-Rose, son Dylan and sister Leah, explained that the group of cats will be living in the cafe.

She said: “Some places buy in their cats and breed them, but we decided not to do that.

"In our cafe you’ll only ever find cats that have been rescued, rehomed or abandoned. We strongly believe that every cat deserves to be warm, cosy and go to sleep with a full tummy knowing they are loved and free from harm.

“The cats will live in the cafe itself and we have a team of ‘cat nannies’ who will be looking after them. We also have a wonderful vet team on hand.

“The cats are free to roam three rooms as they please. One is set up like a pretend living room where people can sit and relax, another has tables and chairs in it. There’s cat furniture up the walls.

"The third room the cats have access to is away from the public so they can have a safe space if they don’t want to interact.

"It’s very much their choice whether they want to spend their time in the room with people or have peace in their bedroom.

“We have tried to create a homely and relaxing environment for people to come into and spend time with the cats. Our main focus is on the cats and their welfare.

"The cafe itself is going to be basic in terms of teas, coffees and pre-packaged snacks.”

Becky continued: “Our own cats have been invaluable to myself and my children, and if our cafe can support just a few people in community while they navigate tough times in their own lives then our job is done.

"Hopefully it will also be a wee boost for the High Street and we’ll generate a bit of footfall giving people another reason to visit Falkirk.

"We’re a CIC which means we’re non profit making and we’re not a charity. Any money that’s made will go back into the cafe and to the cats.

"We’ve not been given any funding, so we’ve spent our own savings on setting the cafe up and we have a GoFundMe page for donations.

"Since announcing our plans and looking for volunteers to get involved we’ve had an incredible response.

“It’s been absolutely crazy, but fantastic. People have been very generous. We’re so thankful and we’ve been blown away by the support.”

Becky hopes that in due course The Kit-tea Cafe will also be able to offer classes and educational sessions on cat welfare for adults and children.

Reservations must be booked online in advance. Children must be aged six or over and be accompanied by an adult (one adult for two children).

Full details about the cafe, the house rules and how to book can be found at https://thekit-teacafe.co.uk/