Stressed? At this cafe, the cure is a beverage and a whole lot of feline adoration

When visitors step inside Second Cup Cat Cafe in Olathe, they leave the hustle, heat and hassles of daily life behind.

For a mellow hour or two, they can curl up with a kitty, sip a cup of coffee or simply sit and smile as cats cavort and explore.

“So many cats in one place — it’s a stress reliever for me,” said Juliana Nelsen, 21, of Overland Park.

On a hot day in July, Nelsen and her two young cousins sat on a rug and cuddled and played with all cats that came their way. The cafe is a temporary home to around 30.

Second Cup Cat Cafe was founded by Melissa Kreisler in 2022 as a way to get shelter cats out of cages and into a homelike environment to be adopted.

In the 1,800-square foot cafe, the cats roam freely. They climb and scratch on cat towers, pounce on cafe tables, stretch out on a window seat, nap in rocking chairs and welcome visitors with curiosity. It’s a peaceful setting deliberately designed without the distractions of screens or background chatter.

Entry fee to the cafe is $15 for the first hour and includes a hot or cold beverage. Some come to enjoy cat companionship and some come to adopt a companion.

“You get to know the cat in an environment that’s comfortable for the cat,” said Christina Quentin of St. Joseph. “You can interact with them and get a feel for their personalities.”

Quentin adopted two cats in 2023: Brando, an orange male who is “a source of comfort and comic relief” and Vivi, an outgoing female cat “who likes to cuddle but isn’t clingy.”

All cats at the cafe come from area animal shelters. They have been tested for feline leukemia, and are vaccinated, microchipped and spayed or neutered.

The fee for a kitten is $150 and for an adult, $75. The fees are paid to the shelter the cat came from.

To keep the doors open, Second Cup depends on entry fees, donations, fundraisers, rental fees for parties or other events — and the generosity of Kreisler, who also operates Melissa’s Second Chances, a shelter in Shawnee.

Rent and other cafe expenses average $10,000 to $12,000 a month.

“July was our best month this year,” Kreisler said, explaining that the cafe took in enough that month to cover all expenses.

When revenues fall short, as they often do, Kreisler makes up the difference from her savings account.

“I’d be relieved if the cafe was self-sufficient,” Kreisler said.

The mission isn’t about making money, Quentin said.

“Melissa wants all animals to be safe, cared for and loved.”

People interested in adopting make an appointment and fill out an application. Adopters agree to keep the cats indoors, to not declaw them and to return the cat to Second Cup if it doesn’t work out.

Only 15 of 475 that have been adopted have been returned since the cafe opened, said Heather Cunningham, cafe manager.

Eunice Mollett, of Four Kids For Kritters, a nonprofit cat rescue in Osawatomie, began bringing cats to the cafe in February. More than 20 have since been adopted.

“We’re so small and so rural,” Mollett said. “Coming here allows our cats to be adopted more quickly, and that allows us to help more in our community.”

The cafe even has its regulars.

Jeanne Quinn of Olathe brought her grandchildren, 7-year-old twins, to the cafe recently.

“The kids come here every Tuesday,” said Quinn, who was filling in for their mother.

The cats are good entertainment for the twins and the kids are good for the cats.

“People who come in to play help socialize the cats,” Cunningham said.

First-time visitors are welcome, too.

Recently Stella Kibathi and Michael Trivilino of Overland Park were looking for fun and found their way to the cat cafe.

As they settled in on a couch, kitties climbed up and inspected them.

“We may adopt in the future,” Kibathi said snuggling with a black-and-white kitty.

Second Cup Cat Cafe is at 417 N. Rawhide Drive, Suite F in Olathe. Call 913-712-8865 or go to secondcupcatcafe.com for more information.