TOLEDO, Ohio —
Some might say it's the purr-fect addition to downtown Toledo.
RubyCats, Toledo's first cat cafe, is getting ready to claw open its doors to the public.
WTOL 11 first reported that RubyCats would open earlier this year, but on Tuesday, founding executive director Tallie Carter said the cafe at 618 Adams St. faced a number of construction delays.
"We had a roof leak and then we had to wait for it to rain to see if the roof was still leaking. We repaired the roof three times and it is fully repaired now," Carter explained.
Construction crews have been working around the clock since the summer to get RubyCats open this winter.
"What we're looking at now is just right around the corner at this point. We are finishing up the last bit of work and decorating," she said.
While most cat cafes allow patrons to order food and drinks and mingle with cats, RubyCats will be a little different.
It will serve as a cat rescue. For about $15, cat lovers will be able to schedule a 50-minute appointment to play with cats and even adopt them.
They'll also get a discount at Grindhrs Coffee so they can bring food and drinks back to RubyCats while they cuddle with kittens.
"We decided since it was so close to Grindhrs, we'd develop a partnership with them, so you'll be able to take your cat cafe reservation over to them and you'll get a discount on your coffee for the day," Carter said.
The cats will come from another local cat rescue, Forget Me Not, which will be responsible for vetting the cats and determining which ones will go up for adoption at RubyCats.
"People who are in the rescue community or in the feral cat community locally are excited about it because it will take some more of the pressure off the existing rescues that are in Toledo. There are a lot," Carter said.
She says the response from the community has been positive, too.
"People who haven't heard of cat cafes are excited if they like cats. People who have heard of cat cafes are excited if they've been to them because they're just fun," she said.
Carter hopes RubyCats will open within the coming weeks.
The board is hosting volunteers on Saturday to help paint the walls inside the cafe. If you're interested in helping, email info@rubycats.org.