Audrey Boese has found forever homes for over 1,800 cats in the first five years of opening Whiskers Cat Café and Coffeehouse. Located at 3705 Southwest Trafficway near Westport, Whiskers is the cozy home for a steady stream of adoptable cats, housing between 15 to 20 each week. Boese’s interest in the business was sparked by a trip to a cat café in Denver. “It was full of people and cats; it was one of the coolest things we’d ever seen,” says Boese. “Kansas City is such an animal-loving community, I thought there’s no way they won’t support something like this.” After a successful Kickstarter campaign (and finding a location supportive of her cat and coffee combo), Whiskers was born.
The atmosphere of Whiskers ranges from peaceful to rambunctious and is largely dependent on the moods of the current cat inhabitants—something cat owners will already understand. The café essentially functions as a foster home, taking responsibility for the cats in partnership with KC Pet Project. “It’s a great time for them. They have a big room with all sorts of climbing structures, and they’re having a great time, so it doesn’t break your heart to leave and not adopt,” says Boese, who adopts out around seven cats a week. The café is closed on Monday and Tuesday to undergo a deep clean and give the cats a day off to destress and play.
Working with KC Pet Project has made the process easier for Boese. “The clinic helps with things that come up, because they always will come up, and they’ve been great. But ultimately, while the cats are here, they’re our responsibility. It’s a lot, but it’s worth it.” KC Pet Project also helped with the layout of the cat room, including a designated safe room and multiple entry points for the cats’ privacy rooms, which Boese describes as crucial.
Boese fosters kittens in addition to her three cats and cat-loving Labrador but is still often tempted to take Whiskers residents home. “It’s an ongoing problem,” she says. “I think we all do that. We’re constantly making connections, but then you meet the people applying to adopt the cats, and you think, ‘I need to let this cat go to its new family.’” Boese recently bonded with Clover, a quiet cat who was eventually adopted. “I had a really hard time letting her go,” she says, “It’s constant heartbreak. But ultimately, you move on.”
Reservations at Whiskers offer an hour of cuddly cat playtime, but interested adopters won’t be able to take home their new friend right away. “People spend time in the room and bond with the cat and then our team helps guide them to make sure it’s a good fit,” says Boese. “We’re trying to make sure the home situation fits the cat or keep bonded pairs together.” Even if you’re not interested in adopting, an afternoon with the eclectic cat personalities at Whiskers is still time well spent.
When Audrey Boese lost her corporate job, she decided to go all-in with Whiskers and opened a cheerful coffee shop adjacent to her existing cat café, complete with a large and unironically gorgeous cat portrait. “The learning curve has been very steep,” says Boese about the past five years. “Lots of stress, lots of sleepless nights, some anxiety, and tears. When you’re dealing with animals, the pressure to not make mistakes on their behalf is so high.”
To understand more about the business, Boese sought out and visited other cat cafés, asking questions, and finding things she did and did not want to apply to her own business. “We’ve learned a lot in five years, and we do a lot of things right—but we’ve also made mistakes. We just try to get better every day.” Because there isn’t yet a blueprint for cat cafés, it’s a unique challenge for Boese and her team. “It’s not cookie cutter,” she says. “But it’s worth it.”