Kitty Cat Lounge is located at 946 E Orange St., in Downtown Lakeland. This local business has incorporated the cozy and inviting atmosphere of a local coffee shop, with a clean and stress-relieving space to play with cats!
The owner of Kitty Cat Lounge, Cindy Skop noticed a big problem in her community and set out to make a difference.
“I used to be a photojournalist…I worked for the Ledger and many times… we did stories on folks who were either helping with homeless kitties or the colonies,” said Skop.
Skop said there are many homeless cats and colonies around Polk County that may not have a chance at life.
“I knew once I started doing more research, that Polk County was number one for euthanasia in the Southeast,” said Skop.
After the passing of her father, Skop inherited money and decided that she needed to do something “good.” Helping to solve the problems associated with homeless and overly euthanized cats was her mission.
“Kitty Cat Lounge offers this space where people can come and feel comfortable, not just for the cats but they can work on puzzles, they can read a book, they can play games,” said Skop.
As soon as you walk into this quaint facility, you first feel like you are walking into a familiar living room which adds to the cozy and inviting atmosphere throughout the space.
Beautiful pieces from local artists line the walls, which Skop says are for sale and all the proceeds go right back to the artists.
Along with local art, you will find coffee provided by Lakeland’s own Ethos Coffee Roasters, bagels and croissants from Honeycomb Bread Bakers baked fresh for their sandwich offerings, delicious cheesecakes from 3j’s Sweet Treats and many other food and beverage options all provided by local community partners.
“It was important to me to be downtown, to be hyperlocal and to become an integral part of the town that I care about,” said Skop
The local partnerships don’t stop there…Kitty Cat Lounge only houses Polk County cats due to the need in the community. Skop utilizes the help of Saving Paws Rescue of Florida Inc. (which only operates within Polk County) to save the lives of as many local cats as possible.
Kitty Cat Lounge is the fact that they want everyone to be involved and experience what they have to offer. Skop said that there is no target customer. Even for people who may be allergic to cats or need some time to warm up to letting them jump in your lap, they can rest easy knowing that the cat room is separate from the from the coffee shop area and uses its own ventilation unit.
So, before you finish checking off all the boxes on your shopping list, consider grabbing a gift card to the Kitty Cat Lounge, a beautiful piece of local artwork, or give one of their cats the gift of a new forever home.
For more information visit: Kittycatlounge.com