On June 4, Nicala Teague, owner of the only cat cafe in Guthrie, hosted the weekly Chamber Coffee event held by the Guthrie Chamber of Commerce. The event was very popular, hosting roughly 80 people. Her business had only been open for two months, so this was a crucial event for both the cats and for Teague.
The event went smoothly, and everyone had a great time bonding with the cats. Teague spoke to people as they left, and she was informed of some bad news. “Diva just disappeared in a wall,” one of her family members said. When they opened the wall, they found Diva peacefully sleeping in the corner. The entrance she entered the wall through has since been closed off so incidents like this one can no longer happen.
Taking care of over 20 cats can be stressful, but Teague and her small staff keep it under control. The incident with Diva is the only major issue that has happened in the four month life of the business.
Teague already has plans for improvements and events in the future. When Meow and Mocha opened, they had less than 10 drink offerings, but Teague is planning on adding many more. These drinks include lemonades, coffees, hot cocoa, and new boba flavors.
Teague has gotten a lot of help from her family in creating and sustaining her business. Her brother, Chris, works at the front of the cafe making drinks and put up their website. Chris says, “We’re all very close with family … My whole job life so far has been working with her.”
Wally is a rescue cat who was found in the wall of the mayor’s neighbor’s house, which is where his name comes from. He has lived in the cafe ever since. Chris claims, “he is the sweetest.”
The cafe was most recently a sports museum, so it took a lot of work to transform it into the cafe it is now. Teague’s father helped with painting most of the walls, while she painted most of the murals. “It looked like a dungeon”, Teague says.
Their mother runs the social media pages and visits often to see how the place is running and how everyone is doing. Their mother called every day to motivate Teague to fill out an inch-tall stack of paperwork that needed to be filed.
Teague has a lot of events planned for the near future, including an emo night, a Halloween party, and a cat and car show. These events are going to have unique pastries, special drinks, and decorations to match the event theme. All proceeds from these events will go towards supporting the cats.
The cafe acts as a foster home for the cats, and they can be adopted at any time. So far, 21 have been adopted, and only a few cats are permanent residents of the cafe. Teague says, “You come here because you bond with an animal, and you say ‘I want this to be another addition to my family.’”
Teague’s motto is “adopt, don’t shop,” and the cafe allows families to get to know who they’re going to adopt. They treat the cats with a lot of respect and care. If you’re looking for a cozy spot to hang out, go visit the cats, try one of the new drinks, and maybe find a new addition to your family.
Jeremy Arballo
Jeremy Arballo is a sophomore broadcast journalism major
