Karma Kat Cafe and Rescue is a unique animal shelter in Mount Pleasant. Along with being a state-licensed shelter that takes in cats with the goal of finding them their perfect forever home, they also allow for a much more casual experience between people and the cats in their care.
According to their website “members and guests can hang out in the lounge while sipping coffee, doing homework, or just relaxing- all in the company of our adorable friends.” For a $10 per person charge people can spend time with the many cats in the care of the KKC, plus a bag of treats to share with them.
This type of shelter provides a unique experience for both the cats and the potential adopters due to the communal living environment and all that comes along with it. Most shelter cats are living in a kennel or bay by themself. This can be helpful for medical cases and cats with behavioral problems, however communal living offers many benefits and opportunities for growth within the cats.
Misty Myers, the owner and operator of the KKC, says they are often commended on the socialization of cats in their care. “I think mentally it's healthier for them than sitting in a cage and you get to see their personalities,” she said.
Many of the cats in their care come from “rough backgrounds,” as Myers describes, which can result in behavioral issues when they enter the shelter. In Myers’ experience however, the communal environment and frequent visitation from humans benefits them greatly with overcoming those behaviors.
One example Myers shared was Ellie, a cat who wouldn’t let anyone touch her for roughly three months. As Ellie got more exposure to visitors she began to trust people again. The treats they come with helped ease her into trusting people and now, Myers says, she even anticipates the treats and is able to approach people like never before.
The KKC foster program is primarily for kittens, due to the workload that comes with them that the shelter can’t provide as well as an individual can.
Occasionally the KKC will foster out an adult cat but Myers says they typically avoid this because of the impact that moving from home to home can have on cats who have already struggled during their lifetime.
Certain medical cases are best handled in a foster home due to the care they require. Currently, there is an adult cat with diabetes being fostered through the KKC program. This cat requires insulin and blood sugar checks multiple times a day which is easier for a home to do than the KKC.
Myers also said it is common for cats to come in with Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), which requires twice daily treatment for 84 days. She said she used to take all these cases home to treat but because of the other cats in her home it became easier to find someone else to foster them and “love them for that treatment period.” Similarly, there have been amputation cases at KKC which are best recovered from in a comfortable home environment rather than the communal living at the shelter.
If an adult cat has behavioral issues or is simply not doing well in the communal setting they will also be fostered out to provide a better life for that cat's specific needs.
Myers says kittens require consistent bottle feeding, about every two hours, which is hard for the shelter to provide while caring for the other cats and business of the cafe.
Their foster program focusing on kittens does add some difficulty with finding foster homes that are able to take whole litters, but Myers says she tries to accommodate the requests of the foster home as best she can.
“We don’t separate litters because it’s very important for socialization that they stay together at this age,” said Myers. If a foster requests only one or two kittens they will be given the small litters and are still a big help to the shelter.
Kittens also have weaker immune systems than the adult cats and despite the quarantine room at the shelter, a “kittie cold” can spread quickly in the shelter and may cause complications with the litters. This is easier to manage or avoid in a home environment.
Myers said the kittens are brought back once they are able to be fixed, the KKC uses a veterinarian with the Department of Agriculture who requires kittens to be at least four pounds before being fixed.
Besides simply caring for the cat's basic needs, the foster's main responsibility is observing the animal and letting the KKC know about issues with them. Socializing them in the home environment is important before bringing them back to the shelter where they continue to socialize and grow.
The only requirement for the home is a space where the cat can be safe from prey driven dogs and small children. Myers says this doesn't have to be a whole separate room, just a space where the cat can feel safe and comfortable. She also says they provide pop-up play pens and crates if needed to help create this space for the animal. “We provide it all, litter boxes, litter scoops, food, medical, everything needed,” said Myers.
Though some medical cases may be fostered out, all the critical cases go home with Myers. “I prefer we do the medical ones that are a little bit trickier for people just because I’ve been doing this for 13 or 14 years,” she said. She focuses on stabilizing their condition and then finds a foster for the remaining care they may need before returning to the shelter.
Overall, the foster program at KKC allows Myers and her team to help more cats in need and keep cats that need more specific things, both medically and behaviorally, as comfortable as can be.