Purr Cat Café Seeks Approval to Open in Brighton

Cat Cafe by LWYang on Flickr / Creative Commons

A new kind of animal shelter is hoping to move into Brighton: Purr Cat Café appealed to the Boston Zoning Board last night to open a place where up to 25 adoptable cats would live, and guests could visit for a comfortable place to study, sip coffee and have light snacks, and cuddle with kittens.

The venture, courtesy of a former medical services professional from Hull named Diane Kelly, has been in the works for several months.

“Purr was founded with a simple mission: To improve the life of shelter cats and find our cats forever homes,” reads Purr’s website.

Kelly plans to work with local animal shelters to house up to 25 cats at Purr. The space she’s seeking is between 167-183 Chestnut Hill Ave., Universal Hub reports. The cafe would have a basement, where sick or overwhelmed kitties could take refuge from adoring fans. Purr will have a $15 access fee, but Kelly plans to work with area schools and senior programs to give those demographics free access to the cats.

Purr would accomodate 40 guests, and plans call for a two-door entryway to help keep the cats from venturing out to explore the city. The café wouldn’t offer its own food or drink, for health code reasons, but Kelly says she will work with a nearby restaurant to provide coffee, hot chocolate, and snacks. And, of course, Purr will have plenty of comfy seating on which to curl up with your potential new best friend.

“We are excited to [improve the life of shelter cats] while simultaneously providing Boston residents and visitors a means to brighten your day by spending time with our special guests,” says the Purr website.

There was no objection to the proposal during last night’s hearing, according to UHub.

Purr Cat Cafe, seeking approval at 167-183 Chestnut Hill Ave., Brighton, purrcatcafe.com.