08/26/2026
So I just blinked and it's already August 25th and now 9:19pm and too late for the algorithm.
Happy Cat's birthday was last Monday the 17th and I didn't even post about it. I've been too busy with 8000 other things it's been put on the back burner. Every year we've had a party with cake, last year was quite an event with a food truck and vendors. No party this year, at least not yet.
So much has changed in 9 years.
When we started we had 6 cats, and I can still remember all of their names, now I barely know a cat before it gets adopted. When we started, I worked 9am-9pm 6 days a week, we were closed on Mondays. I would scoop every box, be there for every adoption photo, greet every guest. Now I spend most of my time answering emails, training, doing payroll and bookkeeping, putting out fires.
When we started, the first day we opened, my first son was 7 months old and crawled for the first time on the counter, he was chasing a decorative ball of yarn, so we jokingly would say he thinks he's a cat. His dad would bring him up several times a day to spend time with me on the long days. Now I have 3 children, 9, 4, and 2, whom I homeschool, and we spend our time hiking and learning about animals. They spend only a fraction of time at the cafe as my first son, who pretty much grew up there.
When we started we had days without a single customer, now in 9 years we've had tens of thousands of people come through our doors. When I started Happy Cat Cafe, as just an idea, a website and a page, scrolling on facebook, I was 25, now I'm 37. When we first started, I almost adopted the first cat, Noxie, and now we've had well over 1000 adoptions and almost stopped counting.
I don't know why I am writing this sounding sad going into our 10th year of running. Maybe it's because what used to be pure passion, connection, has turned into a lot of taxes, paperwork, and managerial decisions. I miss the simplicity of having nowhere to go but up. This year has been harder than the ones before it, and there's too many factors to place it on any one thing.
The other day I was in the cafe with the kittens and I felt that spark again, the feeling of being overwhelmed with happiness at these wonderful beings that connect with us on an almost metaphysical level.
I put my heart, soul, house, blood, sweat, too many tears into this project and it's become bigger than me and it's my small but scrappy staff now who make you and the cats feel cared for every day.
A lot of rambling to say that I am so thankful for every single person that has walked into our doors. I feel sincere gratitude that you gave up your hard earned money to visit my little shop, or opened your home to one of these special cats.
A lot of things change, especially in 10 years, but one thing that doesn't is the feeling of holding a baby kitten in your arms and feeling it purr.
Happy 9 years Happy Cat Cafe a week and day late.
Share your memories of Happy Cat in the comments, I would love to see them!
Kitten Photo (adopted): Jenna Rose Photography
