WESTBROOK, Maine — There's a new place opening in Westbrook for cat lovers and future cat owners. The Meow Cat Lounge is set to have a grand opening on July 8.
The owner, Anne Beal, is also a freelance broadcast producer for NEWS CENTER Maine. Beal has been fostering and taking care of stray cats for more than 30 years.
She said Maine has a lot of cats in need of forever homes, and she's hoping the lounge will offer people the opportunity to spend some quality time with cats before considering adopting one. For a small fee, Beal said people will be able to spend quality time with about 12 to 15 cats that need a forever home.
Maine has strict laws regarding serving food and drink around animals, so instead, Beal is hoping to sell pre-made drinks and snacks. People are more than welcome to bring their own food and non-alcoholic beverages.
The lounge will have a place for people to sit, read, study, and work, and a separate lounge with the adoptable cats. As a way to better engage with the animals, Beal aims to offer paint nights, yoga, trivia, open mics, and other fun activities—all surrounded by the adoptable cats.
"It'll just be a nice safe place for the cats to hopefully meet people and be able to show their personalities more than they may have at the shelter, where they are in a cage," Beal explained. "This way, they are out walking around, so people can really interact with them a little bit more. People can come and spend a full hour or more if they want to come back again, you know, and really just get to spend time with them and see how they interact with each other."
The cat lounge will have a limit of 12 to 15 people at a time.
Meow Cat Lounge will have a soft opening on July 1 and 2. The grand opening will be on July 8. It's located at 630 Main Street in Westbrook.
Click here for more details of the Meow Cat Lounge.