HOLLAND, Mich. — Cat lovers in Holland now have a cozy place to unwind and interact with furry friends at the newly opened Cat Cove, the first cat lounge in the area. Visitors can hang out, play with the resident cats, and even adopt one of the adorable felines.
"This is just a good place you can get your cat fix if you just need a little time with cats, if you're looking to adopt, you know, cats are cheaper than therapy in a lot of ways. You can come here for an hour and hang out with cats," said the Cat Cove founder, Jennifer Siegel Friday.
After living in Chicago, IL for 25 years, Siegel, who's from Grand Rapids, transformed her love for cats into a career when she opened the lounge at 76 E Lakewood Blvd in Holland just two weeks ago.
“I was trying to think about what I wanted to do next, and realized I didn't want to do corporate anymore. I just started thinking like, you know, I like cats a lot,” Siegel said. "In terms of what you need to make a cat cafe successful ... You need retirees, you need tourists, you need students, which Holland has all of that."
The Cat Cove currently hosts 11 adult cats and four kittens, all of which were rescued through the Harbor Humane Society in West Olive.
"Adoptions have been great right now. We've adopted out eight kittens and two adult cats. We've got two more adult cats that have been adopted and just not picked up yet," added Siegel. "The adult cats are really one in, one out. So, we tend to have 10 to 12 at any given time. In our kitten room, it's one litter at a time. So, as one gets adopted out, then we get a new litter in."
Visitors can enjoy a 50-minute visit for $13, while students, military members, and seniors aged 65 and over receive a discounted price of $10. Reservations can be made via their website.
"The kids come in and are all excited to see the cats, we get retirees who just can't have a cat at home, or maybe, you know, they haven't been able to have a pet, and they're starting to think about it. So, you know, it's really everyone. We've had people, tourists, too," Siegel explained.
More than just a lounge, Cat Cove also features a small retail area offering refrigerated beverages and pre-packaged snacks, mostly sourced from Michigan. The Cat Cove is open six days a week.
"Tuesday through Friday, we're open 11 to seven. Saturday and Sundays, 10 to five, and then we're closed on Mondays. So we may change those hours in the fall, potentially fall, winter," said Siegel.
Siegel is also hoping to organize future events.
"We're going to be doing cat yoga soon. We're doing a music night in a couple weeks, we're going to be doing Tabby and Trivia. I'm a big Lions fan, so we'll be doing like, Felines and Football, so something like that," Siegel explained.
As Holland's new go-to destination for cat lovers, the Cat Cove encourages guests to bring a paws-itive attitude for a purrfect experience. With a warm atmosphere and playful cats, visitors are sure to leave feeling “feline fine.”
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