BILLINGS — Blending relaxation with rescue, a new nonprofit cat café in Billings is giving locals a unique space for people and cats to connect.
Watch the video below to see inside the new Kitty Corner Café:
For Leigh Newell, the gentle sound of a cat’s purr is something she has been missing.
“He's purring right now and he was going right into my neck,” said Newell as she cradled a kitten.
Newell, a lifelong cat lover, recently found herself wanting to open her home and heart again after losing a beloved pet two years ago.
“I've had cats all my life and I lost one as we all do and I just started to go, 'I'm ready now,'" she said.
That desire is what brought her to the brand-new Kitty Corner Café, located at 1780 Shiloh Rd. Here, patrons can pay by the hour or sign up for a monthly or yearly membership to relax and unwind with adoptable cats and kittens provided by the Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter.
“They're all chipped. They all come vaccinated, and they come kind of pre-interviewed, pre-screened so that they can be in this space with other people, with other animals,” said the café's co-founder Anna Claypool.
While the café does not process adoptions directly, visitors can begin the process on-site and then complete it at the shelter. Once approved, adopters return with a carrier to take their new furry family member home.
Newell was the café's second-ever adoption. She took home the kitten who left a pawprint on her heart in a calm space she described as far removed from the stress and chaos of traditional animal shelter cages.
"It's been a good experience," said Newell. “I think much more healthy for both kitty and person.”
That was the intention behind opening the nonprofit for co-founders Claypool and Juletta Gilge.
“It's a way for you to see their personality, for them to also see you and to see if you'd be a good fit, other than just a little crate you're sticking your hand through," Claypool said. "They really come alive out here outside of the animal shelter’s little boxes."
The café was a long-time dream for the friends and mental health counselors, who met over a decade ago in college. After visiting a similar spot in Bozeman, the pair felt it was something Billings needed too.
"We have no business experience, but we were like, 'Yeah, I guess let's do it.' So a week later, I followed up with her. I'm like, 'I'm serious. Are you serious? Should we do this?'” recalled Claypool.
And serious they were. Over nearly two years, they hosted monthly community fundraisers and launched an online campaign to bring their vision to life. They approached the shelter about the idea, who was immediately on board. The café held its grand opening on Friday to a warm welcome of feline lovers.
“It's so exciting," said Claypool. "I don't think it's fully set in because it's been such a long road."
Both women are lifelong cat lovers, having adopted and rescued cats over the years.
"The cat that I have currently, he is 16, and I've had him since I was 13. So he's my reason, I would say, for doing the cat café,” Claypool said.
The café is also deeply tied to Claypool and Gilge’s backgrounds as mental health professionals as they begin their newest ventures. Claypool’s practice will soon operate right next door and will allow therapeutic cat interactions for her patients.
“Cats and mental health just go really well together," said Claypool. "If you've ever had a cat purr on your chest or you know, you get snuggles, they're soft after a long day, that's really great for anxiety and depression."
While Kitty Corner does not offer full café service, it does sell prepackaged snacks and drinks. Down the road, the pair hopes to open a full coffee shop next door and add older, permanent resident cats.
“I have a soft spot for older cats, so I would love to have some cats that live out their golden years with us as permanent residents, and YVAS is on board with that," said Claypool.
For now, the space is a haven for not only people but for the cats themselves, too.
"We're just super excited to be here. This has been a long road,” said Claypool. "This is new. This is unique. It's family-friendly, and there's nothing like it in Yellowstone County."
Kitty Corner Café is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information on visits, memberships, or adoption, click here.
