City Council considers downtown cat cafe tonight

ASHEVILLE – If Brother Wolf gets its way, downtown Asheville will soon be as welcoming for cats as it is for dogs.

A cat cafe proposal heads to City Council for consideration at tonight's meeting. In July, the no-kill animal shelter received unanimous approval from the city’s Downtown Commission to amend the wording of a zoning ordinance to open the cafe.

“Cat cafes are being built all over the country,” said Denise Bitz, president and founder of Brother Wolf Animal Rescue. “This is going to happen. We have been planning this for at least two years.”

Brother Wolf intends to rent space downtown where tourists and passersby can stop to enjoy a cup of coffee and a cat or two. The goal is to open the cafe by fall.

“We’re a very dog-centered town; you can bring your dogs everywhere, but there is not a lot for cats,” said Bitz.

The cafe will likely have two rooms divided by a clear wall, she said. One side will be set up similar to coffee shop where people can enjoy drinks, prepackaged baked goods and pastries. The other side will have between 20 and 25 cats needing adoption.

“The key point is to keep the food and animals separate,” Bitz said.

By bringing cats out of its noisy shelter on Glendale Avenue and into the public’s eye, the cafe will give Brother Wolf heightened visibility and increase its ability to find more homes for abandoned animals, Bitz said.

“Cats are a special breed and they need to be tended to and they need their own space in a quiet, calm environment,” said Bitz. “Many people won’t come to a shelter because it’s too emotional for them. This will be a warm, inviting place.”

Brother Wolf anticipates more than 500 abandoned felines will be adopted each year because of the initiative. In July, Brother Wolf had around 400 cats and kittens needing adoption.

There are limited uses for having living animals in Asheville’s downtown commercial district, said Vaidila Satvika, an urban planner for the city. Kennels are prohibited because of the loud noise made by barking dogs.

Abandoned cats in the care of an animal shelter are less of a problem, he said. The unified development ordinance is meant to be reviewed regularly to meet changing economic and cultural needs.

“This will support the vibrancy of downtown by allowing yet another use that is interesting, creative and complementary,” said Satvika. “I think it’s great idea. This is a new thing that is happening. Brother Wolf is at the forefront by trying to bring this to Asheville.”

GET INVOLVED

Brother Wolf Animal Rescue is hosting a contest to name the new cafe. Send submissions to Denise Bitz at denise@bwar.org. More information at www.bwar.org.