SHELBY COUNTY, Ala. (WIAT) – If you’re looking for a place to sip on coffee in the company of cats, be led in a yoga session or get a Tarot card reading, look no further.
The Lotus Catfe, located in Alabaster, Alabama, opened earlier this year on April 15 under co-owners Nicole Jacobson and daughter Skye.
Skye, a certified yoga instructor, wanted a place to teach classes. Nicole, the proud owner of seven cats, had always wanted to open a cat cafe. Thus, the Lotus Catfe was born.
“We kind of combined our passions,” Nicole said.
As a kid, Nicole said she didn’t have many cats, but started to adopt them in her teens.
“At 18 (or) 19, when I had my own apartment, I started rescuing cats,” Nicole said. “They just kind of found me. It’s still kind of that way.”
Today, the Lotus Catfe is home to nine cats.
“We come here probably an hour, hour and a half early,” Nicole said of their daily routine. “We clean everything. (The cats) get fed, they get water, we clean their dishes, we clean their boxes, we give them some attention and we open up and then people trickle through (and) spend time with them. And then usually in the evening is when we have yoga.”
Nicole said that for the cats, the cafe is home.
“It’s set up for them,” Nicole said. “They have two rooms, one where they can hang out with the people if they want to, and then they have their own little private room.”
While the cats usually stay in their private room during yoga classes, they have been known to make a special appearance at the weekly cat yoga sessions, where attendees can participate in a yoga class alongside the feline residents on Saturdays.
In addition to beverages and yoga, Nicole offers readings at the cafe through their “Shop of Purriosities.” Nicole said she began studying tarot card readings and performing them for friends and family after experiencing “a really powerful reading” in her early twenties.
“I realized I was pretty good at it,” Nicole said with a laugh.
The great news for anyone who spends time at the Lotus Catfe and bonds with a cat is that every cat housed at the cafe is available for adoption.
The cafe is currently working on opening their own rescue, Ginger Cat Rescue, but in the meantime works with the Shelby County Humane Society to help find cats a home.
Nicole said every cat at the Lotus Catfe is up to date on their shots, is spayed or neutered and is microchipped. Cats available for adoption can be found on their website here.
The adoption fee is $49 and the application can be completed online through the Lotus Catfe.
After an application is submitted, Nicole said the Lotus Catfe follows up with a few references, check with the applicant’s vet and either approve or reject the application. If approved, the applicant will sign a contract.
“My biggest thing is if you decide that you don’t want them, that they come back here,” Nicole said of the contract. “There’s no judgment if that happens. I completely understand that things happen, but I want them here because they know us. We know them. We know what they like. We know what to do with them.”
To reserve a time to visit the cafe, or to participate in a yoga class, a session can be scheduled here. Payment can be made online or in cash.
Time at the cafe with the cats is $10 for an hour and comes with a single serve coffee, tea, or cold beverage. Yoga, which includes heart healing and meditations sessions, is also $10 per class.
Readings are available at the cafe at $40 for 30 minutes or $70 for an hour and can be scheduled by emailing thelotuscatfe@gmail.com.
The Lotus Catfe – and its host of activities – is located in Suite 9 at 7895 Highway 119 in Alabaster, Alabama. To stay up to date with the latest information and events, follow the Lotus Catfe on any of the following social media platforms:
Facebook: @thelotuscatfe
Instagram: @lotuscatfe
Tiktok: @thelotuscatfe
