The purr-fect opportunity to read a book while lounging in the presence of some cool cats is finally here with the arrival of Fat Cat Books.
Tallahassee’s first nonprofit cat cafe, Fat Cat Cafe, is expanding its business by opening a bookstore/cat adoption center only blocks away from FAMU’s campus. Located inside of Railroad Square Art Park, Fat Cat Books is hosting its grand opening today at 647 McDonnell Drive. The event is scheduled to be be from 2 to 8 p.m.
The bookstore will be joining a variety of eccentric businesses in Railroad Square, such as Crystal Portal, Bourne Brilliant, The Other Side Vintage and Flippin’ Great Pinball. Crystal Portal employee Ireland McCreadie is ecstatic to be in walking distance of the newly opened bookstore.
“I’m super excited for it to be so close to us in Railroad Square,” McCreadie said. “I’m going to be visiting a lot.”
McCreadie is a cat mom herself and an avid supporter of other cat adoption centers, like Tally Cat Cafe.
Fat Cat Cafe is home to a majority of younger kittens with a handful of older cats. However, it is common knowledge that younger cats receive preferential treatment when being adopted. This leaves most of the older cats at the adoption center to wait for the day they will also be taken into a new home. For most adult cats, that day can take months to happen or never actually does.
Fat Cat Cafe employee Cailee Geddis says the new bookstore is going to be a special experience for the adult cats.
“The idea stemmed off of the cat cafe here,” Geddis said. “We generally adopt out younger cats here, and the older cats have a harder time getting adopted and they’re here longer. We wanted to create a safe haven for them, where they can be seen and not overlooked. They deserve more attention and love.”
Like Geddis said, the bookstore will be the heartwarming safe haven for these under-appreciated, loved cats by surrounding them with hundreds of books, coffee and customer visits.
Cat cafes in Tallahassee are not only a popular tourist attraction, but they offer visitors a chance to bond with their feline friend, prior to adopting them. Tally Cat Cafe, located on North Monroe Street, is the other cat cafe in town that has a wide menu of pun-inspired drinks and occasionally hosts movie nights.
Florida State University student Peyton Addison is also a cat mom and frequently visits the cat cafes in town.
“I’m excited to visit the bookstore, and I’m hoping that you are able to sit with the cats while shopping/reading and have areas to play with them,” Addison said. “At some cat cafes in town, the kitties are from shelters and are up for adoption, and I think that would be a great way to get rescue cats into good homes as well.”
If you have any unused or unwanted books laying around, Fat Cat Books is accepting donations of any genre at its new location. You can visit them in Railroad Square Art Park or visit their social media here.