Whiskers: Kansas City, MO, USA
Contact Information
Address: 3705 SW Trafficway, Kansas City, MO
Phone: (816) 888-9701
Hours: W-F 3-7, Sa 10-2, Su 12-4; Closed M/T
Entrance Fee: $10/hour
Ratings
Website / Social Media
Website: whiskerskc.com
Facebook: @whiskerskc
Instagram: whiskerskc
Twitter: @whiskerskc
Cat vs Cafe (60/40)
My Favorite Things: Review of Whiskers KC
I recently moved to Kansas City, but it already feels like home, in large part because of Whiskers.
We landed here last summer after spending two years traveling the world. At first, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about settling down, but it turns out that my passion for cat cafes, especially those that facilitate rescue and adoption has helped me find my community. A cat cafe family of sorts, where I have found kindred spirits and fellow cat lovers all over the globe.
Audrey and JT, owners of Whiskers, are two more additions to my cat cafe family. They are the ideal cat cafe people having all three characteristics needed for success- great with cats, excellent with people and adept with business- they are incredibly caring and hard working folks who deserve all the kudos!
It hasn’t been an easy road. They began with a Kickstarter in July 2016, and while funding went well, finding a location proved to be most difficult- over 20 different spaces were considered before locking in our their current Midtown spot.
Safe to say, it was worth the wait. The cat room is absolute perfection- with high ceilings, lots of natural light and a thoughtful, yet spare design. Throw in soft music and even softer fuzzy white rugs, and there is something so calming about Whiskers that you want to just hang out for hours. They take advantage of the room’s verticality by adding lots of elevated spaces for the cats, including a huge tree in the center of the room, based on a Lego model built by JT.
Open since November, Whiskers has facilitated 41 adoptions as of March 11, 2019. They are partnered with with world-class shelter organization KC Pet Project, a group that carefully screens and selects cats to be featured at the cafe.
The selection and socialization plan at Whiskers is really well done. With the help of KC Pet project cat behaviorist, Jennifer, the cafe seems to have the ideal blend of outgoing and introverted cats- so the social ones help the shy guys with their trust issues.
Speaking of kitties, I met most of them that day, but bonded with a few including two gorgeous black cats- Black Panther and his fluffy tail, and Sheena Boneeta, the sweetest little baby with a name that always makes me smile. I also fell in love with Lover Boy, a big ginger lover and Jester, a handsome tabby man with stoic gaze softened by the most luxurious fur ever!
My first visit was topped off by a wonderful conversation with Audrey and JT. That connection proved to a great foundation builder because our second visit, a few weeks later, included Jennifer from KC Pet Project, and Molly, owner of soon-to-be-opened Buckminster’s Cat Cafe in Buffalo, NY. Molly, originally from Kansas City, reached out and asked if I could meet her at the newly opened KC cat cafe for insights she might apply in the opening of Buckminster’s (named after her beloved blue boy).
We sat in the cafe space and sipped freshly roasted artisan brew (KC favorite Messenger Coffee) while volleying questions and answers. It was so much fun, I didn’t want to end. Sitting around with people as passionate about cat cafes, rescue and adoption as I am filled me with delight. I had found my people!
And that’s how Kansas City went from the place I live to a place I call home.
Date Visited: 1/27/19
