Joyful Cats

Vestibule

When you walk into Cats in Bloom, you enter a vestibule and above you see glass, and see cats sitting above you. Once you're in the vestibule, you get a whiff of a cat stench that's recognizable, it’s also a little chilly and you get goosebumps. Before you open the other door, you have to make sure you shut the door you just came through, so the cats don’t escape. Then once you go through the second door, a nice older woman that welcomes you in she's sitting on the left at a little table asking you to sign in and pay for your visit. This older woman can also be called Kimberly and she's wearing a pastel orange t-shirt and long jean shorts; she also has short blonde hair with some orange tinsel. On your right you see two cat trees with some cats lying on the cat trees or beside them. In this room, there's only adult cats, and about nineteen cats in that room. Kimberly mentioned that "Cats in Bloom has been open since 2019 and they've had over two thousand, three hundred adoptions since then. About thirty to forty adoptions a month." They also struggle with how many cats they bring in, and having to take care of them until someone adopts them.

Once you pass Kimberly, you see a little seating area with four chairs, and they all have a blanket on them. The blanket has cats with scarves and some pumpkins on them. Also, a couch and a high-top table. The couch has a orange blanket over it, and a family sitting there. A family of three. This family kept arguing about what cat was the best, and what one they should adopt. As you look around the room, you see a lot going on, customers playing with cats, cats running around, people moving in and out of rooms, and a lot of chatter. If you look at the walls, you will see pictures and decorations on the walls and windows. On the walls there's shelves for the cats to climb and they have bright colors. There's a cat clock it with a cat smelling a flower. If you look at the windows, you see little ledges to put cat beds and such there. In one window you see a cat tree that looks like a tree with a house on it. Also, some fall decorations in that window. There's a tree with orange leaves and some paper leaves hanging from the ceiling. In the other window, you see some cat beds and smaller cat trees. While observing one of the volunteers, Chris came up to me and my friends and whispered "So are y'all gonna pay. I take cash," he joked. Chris holds a board members position at Cats in Bloom. He showed us around the business. 

Then we go into the basement where only teen cats can stay and about eleven cats down there. Chris took us down and he noted "All the cats here are well taken care of and go to the vet." When you get down there, it’s much hotter and the smell, much stronger. You see two couches, one with a orange blanket over it, and the other has the same blanket as the chairs did upstairs. You also see four cat trees and cats lying around. These cats looked more tired than the adult cats upstairs. If you look at the ceiling, you see paper pumpkins hanging and the panel lights have a design as a clear blue sky and clouds. 

Keara then described how a cat got stuck in the ceiling. "There was a time when a cat got stuck in the ceiling. The cat was stuck in the ceiling in the basement. We weren't able to get the cat down, but we were able to feed him. This cat got stuck up there for about two days before he finally came down."

In one of the smaller rooms on the first floor there's kittens, about nine kittens in this room. That room looks sunflower themed. The cat trees have flowers on them and a sunflower carpet as well. The walls white and bumpy, and the floor with a dark wooden paneling. The office sits right next to this room. In the office you have your basic computer, desk, and desk chair. Four cats in this room about six cats in here, but two of them found a home with an older woman she had a pixie cut and she carried a cage. Kimberly then mentioned "We have the cats stay in another building at first, so then when they come into the main building the cats get along. There was only one or two cat fights in the past years." 

Cats in Bloom take care of their cats by taking them to the vet, feeding them, and giving them the love they need. They have another building where they take the cats to learn how to get along with other cats, and so they're people friendly. If you visit you will get a warm welcome and get to play with cats, it's a happy place.