New Cat Cafe Provides Connections
Where can you get a latte and adopt a kitten at the same time? A new cat café coming to Oahu, Hawaii, plans on doing just that. But there’s more. According to KITV4, this unique cafe has a dual mission to provide jobs and connections for youth with disabilities along with animal rescue.
Toe Beans & Dreams
The Toe Beans & Dreams Adoption cat cafe is a nonprofit that was created by Oahu neuropsychologist and family therapist Dr Karen Tyson and Kat Charities vice president Beth Doughty.
The unusual name stands for the paw pads on the bottom of cat’s feet and the cafe will serve, tea, coffee, and baked goods. Toe Beans & Dreams plans to be a welcoming place for all and a safe space for children and young adults with disabilities.
“The mission of Toe Beans & Dreams Adoption Cafe is to empower young adults with developmental disabilities by providing jobs and training to help them lead fulfilling lives, while connecting Oahu with the loving furry friends we have rescued through our nonprofit KAT Charities,” Tyson told KITV4.
Construction recently began on the cafe and it is sorely needed. Right now, KAT Charities has over 100 cats who need to be adopted but the new nonprofits vision goes way beyond cat rescue.
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Therapy and Skills Training
Toe Beans & Dreams Adoption cat cafe will be hiring young adults who have developmental disabilities as servers, according to Howzit Kohala. The cafe will also provide space for community groups that work with behavioral therapy and skills training for children and youth with disabilities.
“When individuals with disabilities connect with animals, an incredible relationship is formed,” Tyson told KITV4. “Animals are unconditionally accepting and place no judgment or social expectations on people. This breaks down common barriers for individuals with social, attention, learning or physical disabilities and fosters a therapeutic relationship built on love and mutual trust.”
Kat charities held a mass pet adoption event on June 25, 2022 and all the adoption fees went towards the construction costs of the cat cafe. It was a purring success. Volunteers are also needed. You can join the KAT Charities’ email list to receive updates.
