What started as a dream has become a reality for River Kitty Café’s owner, Holly Walker. River Kitty Café opened in March 2023 and is the first and only cat café in Peoria, Illinois. While cat cafes are no longer a new concept, many individuals who visit are presently surprised by what it entails.
All of the cats at the café are available for adoption and come through the partnership with Peoria County Animal Protection Services (PCAPS). Through this partnership, all cats that come to the café are spayed/neutered, microchipped, and up to date on their vaccines and ready to find their forever home. The café portion of the business includes a full espresso bar with coffee provided by Intuition Coffee & Juice, pastries that are from LeBakery Café, macarons by Voila! Macarons, and other non-coffee beverages, such as tea, soda, lemonade, dirty sodas, and Lotus Plant-Based Energy Drinks.
Partnering with local businesses is important to River Kitty Café, as many local artists sell their goods in the lobby of the café. Additionally, River Kitty Café hosts a variety of recurring events, including Kitten Yoga, Tails & Tales Quiet Book Club, and LGBTQIA+ Community Nights. Coming this summer, River Kitty Game Nights and Crochet with Cats will also begin, both led by local individuals.
In the two years that River Kitty Café has been open, they have successfully adopted out over 490 cats, received an official proclamation from the Peoria County Board recognizing their first two years in business, and is an official sponsor of Peoria Prowlers Roller Derby team. While the goal of the café is to adopt out the cats and kittens to help take the pressure off of local shelters by overpopulation of cats, anyone is welcome to stop by regardless of your intent on adopting or not.
The café is open Wednesdays through Sundays. There is a fee to go back with the cats, but anyone is welcome to just stop in for a coffee or pastry as well. Reservations and event details can be found on the website at www.riverkittycafe.com or calling the café at 309-839-9124.
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River Kitty Café
Holly Walker
309-839-9124
info@riverkittycafe.com
