A view of the cafe side of Nine Lives. This area is separate from the cats so patrons have the choice to enjoy a cat free beverage or snack.
Amber Keel, Nine Lives barista, tends to a customer on the cafe side of the business. Keel’s always up for recommending customers a great cup of coffee.
Proud of their choice to serve ethically sourced coffees, the cafe also offers a variety of tasty locally sourced treats. The coffee comes from Brickhouse Roasters, which just opened a location in Greenwood Indiana.
After being adopted, most cats pose with their new owners for a polaroid picture. These pictures all hang on a wall in the cafe section of Nine Lives.
Patrons interact with one of the resident cats. All cats at Nine Lives are socialized, adoptable, and come from the Humane Society of Indianapolis.
A view of the main seating area in the cat room. The papers scattered across the table provide details on each of the cats and how to adopt them.
The cats are provided with many surfaces to lounge and sleep upon in the cat room. These are here because cats are prone to sleeping 12-16 hours a day.
Co-owner Selena Hubbard has adorned the cafe with many quirky cat knick knacks and paintings. Some of these art-works are for sale, while others are prints she found on poster websites.
A resident cat looks ready to pounce on one of the many toys provided for the cats’ enjoyment. When the cats aren’t sleeping, they’re a very rambunctious bunch.
Cat wrangler/barista Michelle Stanton cuddles up with one of the resident cats. Some of the cats enjoy the attention while others stay away from the customers.
One of the resident cats prepares to go through the door to the litter box room. This area is separate from the cat room and cafe so patrons can enjoy their beverages away from the cats’ bathroom.
Nine Lives employee Laci Howell shows off her ‘MEOW’ tattoo and galaxy cat shirt. Most employees at the cafe have an obvious affinity for cats, as is shown through their wardrobe as well as their visible love for the animals.
Living in an unfamiliar, overcrowded, dingy shelter can put an unnecessary amount of stress on homeless cats. Nine Lives Cat Cafe in Indianapolis, however, is working to provide these cats with a better temporary home- in an ingenious way.
Selena Hubbard and her father, Eric Hubbard, always had dreams of opening a cafe together. However, they spent a while unsure of what kind of cafe they wanted to open; that is, until Selena finally figured it out.
“Years ago, I saw an article about cat cafes in Asia, and when they started popping up in the US, I thought it would be a great concept to try in Indy. My family and I are all big animal lovers, so the cat adoption aspect of our cafe was a must – we felt like it would be a good way to help get more cats adopted in the city!” says Selena.
Throughout the cafe and cat room, Selena has adorned the walls and tables with several quirky works of art featuring nothing other than: cats. From Studio Ghibli themed drawings with cats replacing main characters, to cat vases holding cacti, to cat wallpaper on the coffee bar, this cafe has it all.
“Some of the art is from local artists and is actually all for sale! We do have some art that is not for sale though, and most of those are actually just prints from poster websites that have been framed” Selena reveals.
The cat cafe comes equipped with both a cafe room and a separate cat room. If patrons wish to enjoy their beverages or treats away from the cats, they can while still viewing the furry friends through a large window in between the two rooms. In the cafe, the Nine Lives team is proud to serve only ethically sourced coffee and locally sourced treats. Though off to a strong start, the team hopes to expand it’s food variety in the future.
“We’re always looking to improve on both the coffee side and cat side, and we have plenty of small changes planned. We don’t have a kitchen (or even the room for a kitchen) but we’d really like to add more food items to our menu that aren’t sweets, so that’s something we’re working on” explains Selena.
When asked what the quirkiest thing about the cafe was, Hubbard replied with:
“I’m not sure that there’s a specific thing I can think of that’s the quirkiest. From employees, to certain pieces of art or decor, and of course the cats themselves, I’d say in general we’re pretty quirky! I think that’s just the nature of a cat cafe!”
Nine Lives, while being an adorable cafe, also acts as a foster home for 8-10 cats at a time, all of which come from the Humane Society of Indianapolis. Each week, the Nine Lives team sets a few days apart aside to bring new cats over.
“Each cat has already been spayed/neutered, has their vaccinations, flea preventative, and has been otherwise fully vetted. The cats are also temperament tested by the people at the humane society, and chosen because it seems like they would do well in a free-roaming cat room and be comfortable with humans” Selena clarifies.
Selena and the Nine Lives team is extremely happy with the success of the cafe, and are always looking for new ways to improve. Though the cafe has only been open for a few years, it has already greatly benefitted both the community, and the cats it provides shelter to.
“We’ve benefitted the community by playing a small role in being able to find the cats of the city new homes. We sometimes have special events and a portion of the proceeds from those go to various animal advocacy groups around the city. We also try to educate about topics like spaying and neutering, declawing, community and feral cats, and more, which I feel like can be a benefit for both the cats and their owners or those who come in contact with them” says Selena proudly.
With all the joy that the cat cafe brings to it’s patrons, employees, and cats, Selena is most proud of the number of adoptions they’ve made possible. Very soon the cafe will be celebrating it’s 100th adoption since first opening it’s doors.
