Chesapeake’s Kitty Kingdom Cat Cafe is the purrfect place for a feline fix
CHESAPEAKE — A delayed honeymoon trip in August 2019 to England led to Julie Easterbrooks’ latest business endeavor — a social enterprise focused on cat adoptions in Chesapeake.
She and her husband, Jim, were in Nottingham on their second week abroad when they happened to stroll past kittens in a storefront window.
“I have always had a cat in my life, and I was10 days without mine,” she said. “I needed a cat fix like nobody’s business.”
As the kittens jumped around, on and into her lap, Easterbrooks — who was allergic to cats as a child — enjoyed a cup of cappuccino and
nibbled on a scone.
She turned to Jim and told him she had found her next calling. Her husband — now of six years — wholeheartedly agreed.
Easterbrooks took the business model from the kitty cafe across the pond and created her own in Great Bridge.
Undeterred by the economic slowdown from the pandemic, she resigned from her job as a phlebotomist, applied for a small business loan and moved ahead with her plan with no hesitation.
Kitty Kingdom Cat Café opened on Oct.12 at 565 Cedar Road. Easterbrooks said the cats — all adoptable through the Chesapeake Humane Society — have been “flying out the door.” The cafe helped with the adoption of 50 kittens and cats to date. “We had a banner day where six adult cats left Kitty Kingdom,” she said.
The Chesapeake Humane Society — which provides the vaccinated, spayed/neutered and microchipped kittens and cats — receives all of the adoption fees. Adoptions cost $75 for adult cats and $100 for kittens (up to 6 months).
Patrons pay an admission fee: $15 for a 50-minute appointment with kittens or $12 for an hour with cats. Cat fanciers can register at kittykingdomcatcafe.com. Walk-ins are accepted for half an hour with kittens ($10) and cats ($8).
“The kitten room is high energy, and the cat room is very chill and peaceful,” Easterbrooks said. “If you don’t want to adopt, you can still have kitten/cat time.”
CHS’ community engagement manager, Dyanna Uchiek, said the partnership is an incredible and unique opportunity, and they are honored to be able to help more animals.
“The cat cafe has given us the ability to expand our shelter walls and actually double our adoptable animal population for cats,” Uchiek said.