Cats and bubble tea: New cafe opens in downtown Fuquay-Varina

Mario, a black and white kitten, spends his days playing with strings, snoozing on couch pillows, and climbing cat trees.

His one eye doesn’t stop him from zooming across the floor or playing with his brother Luigi, who is missing a left foot. Both kittens were saved by Facilitate Rescue, a cat shelter in Harnett County, and live with their sister, Princess Peach, as they wait for new families.

In some shelters, cats with disabilities are not always treated gently. But here, at the Right Meow Cat Cafe, physical challenges and complicated backgrounds are accepted, celebrated, and loved.

Located at 913 S. Main St. in downtown Fuquay-Varina, this is the first cat cafe in southern Wake County. Others in the Triangle are in Raleigh, Wake Forest and Chapel Hill. The cafe is also the first in Fuquay-Varina to serve bubble tea, a Taiwanese drink made with tapioca balls.

Kayleigh and Damion Posey opened the cafe Thursday morning, welcoming dozens of people who had made reservations to meet the 12 cats and kittens up for adoption.

“We are trying to sponsor a home where people can see a cat playing, not in a cage at the shelter with 60 other cats in a room,” Damien said. “We wanted a place where people can come and see them having fun.”

All of the felines have come from Facilitate Rescue to the Right Meow Cat Cafe for further rehabilitation and socialization. The partnership helps alleviate the influx of cats in the shelter, lower euthanasia rates, and allow potential owners to bond in a relaxed setting.

A person for every cat

The Poseys, California natives, have been southern Wake County residents since 1999. Kayleigh teaches students who are deaf and hard of hearing, and Damion worked in telecommunications for AT&T. The couple have never owned a business before.

They have “two dogs, four cats, three kids and a bunch of fish,” Damien said.

The Poseys’ three sons, Noah, Caleb and Jude, have assist in the cafe’s operations like cleaning litter boxes, refilling water bowls and making sure patrons follow the rules, including taking off their shoes and not picking up the cats. Caleb is the cafe’s “cat wrangler.” Oldest son Noah created the cafe’s logo, and their youngest son, Jude, painted a cat drinking bubble tea on the wall of the cafe’s restroom.

Creating a safe space for the community was a driving force for the business.

“Probably since COVID, we’ve been looking for a way to just do something positive, something different, something to inspire us and other people,” Kayleigh said. “I sometimes feel like the world’s become kind of toxic. We wanted to make a positive change.”

The pandemic has affected public well-being through isolation, job loss, death, grief and illness. A recent KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation)/CNN survey found 90% of Americans believe the country is experiencing a mental health crisis.

Spending time with animals can boost one’s mood and reduce loneliness, blood pressure and stress. Dogs can encourage physical activity, and cats can provide a calming presence. Cats, more independent creatures, often choose their owners.

“There’s a person out there for every cat,” Damion said. “We really want people to understand that cats can bring so much. They take away stress and fears. Anxiety runs heavy in this country right now, depression runs rampant, and these (cats), if you’re lonely, they’ll give you a little bit of joy.”

Making reservations

The plans for a cat cafe were fast-tracked when the Poseys found a landlord in April willing to rent the 1940s-style home.

The home has been remodeled to include double-pane windows, a wheelchair-accessible entrance, new doors, colorful play areas, and a converted fireplace for people to sit in.

The front of the home is the cafe where customers can order coffee, tea or shop for cat toys or Right Meow apparel.

The cats are toward the back of the home. Through Facilitate Rescue, all of them have been spayed or neutered.

People can make reservations for an individual experience, book the play areas for their family or friends, or reserve the entire building, with or without a barista, and bring in food.

Up to 12 people can fill the room for 55 minutes before new participants arrive.

“Rules still apply, because the cats run the show,” Damion said. “But maybe we open up somebody’s heart to adopt a three-legged cat or a cat with one eye.”

The Poseys are already thinking about the future, including doing their own cat rescue, owning a bigger building, and having free programs for senior residents.

“When you come in, you don’t have to interact with the cats, and you can come in, get drinks and leave,” Kayleigh said. “But people are still helping the cats regardless; every purchase helps keep our doors open.”