LOS ANGELES—While some people meditate and others do yoga, Crumbs and Whiskers prescribes a purring cat and a purr-fect latte. At one of the first cat cafés in the United States, the visitors and the cats have a symbiotic relationship where you can de-stress and pet some kitties, and the cats can potentially find their forever home. The staff at Crumbs and Whiskers has found a way to combine coffee and companionship, a perfect way to relax.
At just 24 years old, Kanchan Singh left her corporate job as a consultant at a large business and technology company to pursue her passion project of creating a cat café. This all started after a trip to Thailand in 2014 that changed everything. Singh set off to volunteer at an elephant sanctuary founded by one of her heroes, Lek Chailert. At this sanctuary, she couldn’t deny that her love for animals is what motivates her in this world.
While in Thailand, she made some new friends who decided to take her to Catmosphere, Chiang Mai’s cat café, to celebrate her birthday. This fun and furry experience led her to ponder about how she could make a difference back in her hometown and provide homeless cats with housing in a more humane way.
This led to the creation of Crumbs and Whiskers. Singh got back to the U.S. from Thailand and left her job to start working on this project. With her passion for animals remaining strong, she had a second love of business and the impact that it can have which she felt could not be attained by traditional charities. On the company’s website, she wrote, “I started Crumbs & Whiskers to create a space where animal lovers could find that connection, and where homeless cats at risk of euthanasia could find homes.” The establishment opened in 2015, being the first cat café in Washington D.C.. They have since expanded to Los Angeles where they opened the city’s first cat café as well.
Singh implemented her love of business into how Crumbs and Whiskers uses a different approach than other shelters to market their cats to potential new families. By getting the opportunity to spend time with a cat and getting to know its personality, it can create a bond and allow people to get to know the cat in an open environment before adopting.
When visitors arrive on Melrose Ave, they are greeted by a hostess and provided a menu with coffees and teas and an assortment of refreshing drinks. You can place your order while you are waiting to enter.
Marresa Kazem, one of the lead hosts, is a cat lover who has been working at the Los Angeles location since December. She helps with opening the café and plays the role of manager when the manager is not present. She is in charge of running the store while making sure all of the guests are happy and satisfied. She also enjoys looking after the cats. “They are taken care of really thoroughly here, which I really enjoy,”
The health and safety of the cats is their number one priority. Kazem does a lot of cat health-related work when present in the store. This entails daily health checks for the cats and looking at all of the main visual things like eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and paws. “We make sure that they’re fully healthy, and if we spot anything, they get sent back to their fosters so they can go see a vet and make sure that they are fully healthy.”
Crumbs and Whiskers is partnered with Homeward Trails Animal Rescue and Kitten Rescue Los Angeles to rescue homeless cats on the streets of LA and Washington D.C. Previously at risk of being euthanized due to overcrowded shelters, 25 rescued cats are currently ready for adoption in Los Angeles. C&W gives the animals a safe, comfortable, nurturing environment, increasing the cats’ quality of life in a loving space that is all about them.
“Sometimes they come here and are absolutely terrified; they’ve been mistreated, but then they gradually come out of their shell and they become more trusting, and then to see them go home to a family is really sweet,” said Kazem about seeing the cats getting adopted, which is her favorite part of the job.
The importance of the safety of the cats translates to when you enter the building, you are required to take your shoes off before you can start cuddling the cats. The room is lit up with pink led lights, fuzzy pillows everywhere, and light brown cat towers all around the room. You are welcomed by about ten furry animals. Some sleep while others zoom around the room. There is an abundance of toys lying around that you can use to entertain the cats, or you can lie on one of the many couches to chill on with a furry feline. Some celebrities, such as Paris Hilton, Jennifer Garner, Nina Dobrev, and many more, have even stopped by to spend time and play with the cats.
Crumbs and Whiskers also hosts fun events that guests can attend. Postcard decorating, Dodgers night, and a Diwali party. “Since it’s Halloween season, we have a ton of black cats that need adopting,” Kazem mentioned. They will also be hosting a costume contest where you can win special prizes, and even the cats will be dressed in costume.
Although plans for expansion are not in the works at the moment, since “It is quite difficult to have a cat cafe, there are a lot of different permits that are required, so it wouldn’t be super easy to just pop up another store,” Kazem states. However, “It is definitely not impossible, and maybe it could happen in the future.”
