Mississippi’s first cat café is planning to close its doors after two years in operation.
The Twisted Whisker Cat Cafe in Tupelo opened in September 2022 and provided rescue cats with a temporary foster home. It was not a coffee run for humans as the name insinuates; rather, it was a public lounge for cats to live freely in a safe space as they awaited adoption.
People were able to visit if they simply wanted to hang out with the cats and get a break from the real world or if they were interested in adoption. In 24 short months, staff at The Twisted Whisker aided with over 200 felines finding new homes.
“We are very proud of what we have accomplished,” owners Marcie and Connor Harper wrote in a social media post. “We are grateful for the 200+ adoptions, all the furry friends we’ve made, our wonderful regulars, and all the lessons learned along the way. We hope if you visited that you felt welcomed, that your heart and lap were warmed and that you left just a little bit happier than when you came in.”
For the Harpers, who recently welcomed a baby, the couple said that while opening The Twisted Whisker was a dream come true, it is no longer financially feasible for them to keep the establishment running.
“There is no easy way to say this, so we will go ahead and rip the band-aid off: The Twisted Whisker will be closing permanently on October 31st or when all the cats are adopted, whichever comes first,” the post continued. “Any small business venture is a risk – and with the recession, our new baby, and increasing costs, there is just no way to make it happen.”
In the meantime, The Twisted Whisker will not be accepting any more cats as it looks for homes for the 20 remaining. It will also be selling or donating everything inside the building at low costs, from cat toys to furniture.
However, the Harpers are hopeful another animal lover will see the announcement and decide to keep the dream going.
“Hopefully, someone else will take up the mantle after us and continue this work. As an aside – if you are someone seriously interested in taking over, feel free to email and we can discuss possibilities. Thank you so much for allowing us to live our dream for the last two years. Much love,” the post concluded with peace and a smiling cat with heart-eye emojis.
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