Look what the cat is dragging in

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FAIRBORN — Cat scratch fever is striking Fairborn.

No, a “cat”- ostrophic disease is not afflicting the community — nor is Ted Nugent coming to town anytime soon. Instead, the city has found the purrrfect solution to address the local stray/homeless cat population.

“We’re opening up a cat cafe called Streetcats,” Fairborn City Manager Rob Anderson said in a Facebook live video. “It’s going to be on 14 W. Third St., near the business (kitchen) incubator downtown.”

As Streetcats launches, local homeless cats will no longer have to bother chasing mice around, slinking down the alleyways, looking for a fight. The city is pairing with multiple adoption agencies and relying on the help of volunteers to open the cafe that will welcome cat lovers to come and drink coffee, eat prepackaged food, use WiFi, receive information concerning cat issues and make new feline friends.

“With the cat cafe, the focus is not on the food,” Downtown Revitalization Specialist Tonia Fish said. “In our case, the focus is on creating a community and addressing cat homelessness in Fairborn.”

The cats at the cafe won’t quite be in a cradle just yet. Fish highlighted that individuals will be free to provide the cafe cats with their forever homes through the number of adoption agencies that are involved in the project. Anderson emphasized that community members will also have the option to utilize Streetcats as an avenue to ensure that local stray/homeless cats are neutered and released or are adopted.

“It’s a way to address this issue is a very humane way,” Anderson said. “It’s a way to overcome this issue with a creative solution that doesn’t cause a lot of distress among the community and it give peoples an outlet where they can take their cats that maybe do not have homes and we can get those folks some relief.”

City officials are licking their paws in anticipation of Streetcat’s January 2018 opening. They wasted no time sunbathing in window light to make the cat cafe a reality. Council authorized the Fairborn Development Corporation in early October to own the entire block surrounding the upcoming kitchen incubator space. The block includes 309-313 W. Main St. as well as 14 W. Third St.

He said in the Facebook post that he envisions Streetcats to additionally host art and yoga classes. Fish added that the goal is to provide a space where community members can enjoy cats, bond with animals and create forever homes.

“It’s not only a fun thing, but an important thing that we’re trying to do with helping our homeless cat population and giving people the opportunity to drop off those cats,” Anderson said.

Fairborn Trap Neuter Return is set to host a mobile veterinary event Sunday, Dec. 31 in which 30 cats will be neutered just before Streetcats officially opens. To participate, individuals must attend a free seminar that provides information about safely and legally traping a stray cat.

Streetcats can be found on Facebook by visiting www.facebook.com/FairbornStreetCats/ as well as Twitter by searching for @FairbornStCats. Fairborn Trap Neuter Return can be found by visiting www.facebook.com/Fairborn-Trap-Neuter-Return-129930647713736/.

Whitney Vickers | Fairborn Herald Streetcats will open in January 2018 at 14 N. Third St. in downtown Fairborn. Individuals will have the option to drink coffee, use WiFi, participate in classes and, of course, play with cats.
https://www.fairborndailyherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2017/11/web1_streetcats2.jpgWhitney Vickers | Fairborn Herald Streetcats will open in January 2018 at 14 N. Third St. in downtown Fairborn. Individuals will have the option to drink coffee, use WiFi, participate in classes and, of course, play with cats.

Whitney Vickers | Fairborn Herald Streetcats will open in January 2018 at 14 N. Third St. in downtown Fairborn. Individuals will have the option to drink coffee, use WiFi, participate in classes and, of course, play with cats.
https://www.fairborndailyherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2017/11/web1_streetcats1.jpgWhitney Vickers | Fairborn Herald Streetcats will open in January 2018 at 14 N. Third St. in downtown Fairborn. Individuals will have the option to drink coffee, use WiFi, participate in classes and, of course, play with cats.

By Whitney Vickers

[email protected]

Contact Whitney Vickers at 937-502-4532.

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