GRAND RAPIDS — A gray and white kitten sprints on a wheel like a hamster. A tuxedo kitten poses like a model atop the cat tower. Three nearly identical orange and white kittens do acrobatics as they fight over a bouncing cat wand.
The cats at the new Shabby Tabby Cat Lounge in Grand Rapids were full of energy when a crew from KAXE stopped by to play Thursday, Aug. 14.
Owners Jennifer Hendrickson and Amy Wirtanen were recent guests on the KAXE Morning Show. They have operated Bark and Beyond, a pet store in Central Square Mall in Grand Rapids, since 2023. They expanded their space to include the Shabby Tabby Cat Lounge.
The Shabby Tabby cats are fosters for Hero's Heart Animal Rescue. The goal of the cat lounge is to give the cats a familiar space to live before hopefully getting adopted.
"I think they feel more comfortable in that space, because they're always there," Hendrickson said. "It stands out from an adoption event where they're in an unknown space, and it's overwhelming. This allows them to be comfortable in that space and then get to free roam as they need."
Almost 10 cats have found new homes since the space opened at the end of July, the owners said.
Although some people come to the lounge looking to adopt, there is no pressure to take a cat home with you.
"I have cats at home," Wirtanen said. "I don't want any more, but it's cool that I can still hang out with all the other ones, and we have a lot of people that come in and do that."
But Bark and Beyond did adopt two cats, Jose and Pablo, to permanently live in the lounge, so there will always be cats around.
You are allowed to bring food and drink into the cat lounge, but it may be difficult to eat since you will have the attention of several cats. Plus, there are rules against feeding the cats any human food. Shabby Tabby has partnered with fellow mall tenants Spartan Deli and Dragonfly Coffee to offer deals for patrons of the cat lounge.
Those interested in spending time at Shabby Tabby can book a 45-minute time slot through Bark and Beyond. It is $10 plus tax per session. The money goes toward caring for the cats.
Listen to our full conversation above.
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