Issue link: http://ncumarketing.uberflip.com/i/1114783
4 PSYCHOLOGY IN A CAT CAFÉ Eric Hubbard, M.LD. A cat café can be magical, transforming place. When my daughter and I first put this crazy idea to start a cat café into motion, we couldn't have imagined the impact it could have one our lives, as well as the lives of our employees and customers. The cats can create an electric atmosphere in the cafe, whipping groups of children into a parent terrifying frenzy, or cause an insurmountable distraction to college students that supposedly come in to have a quiet, focused group study for finals. The atmosphere can also be an extremely peaceful, serene and therapeutic, the cats comfortably lounging away on our customer's laps, being nothing more than what my daughter calls "hot pockets" (which, for those of you who have not had the pleasure of used as a cat pillow, know that a cat's temperature, especially after about a half hour, feels to be just about 350 degrees F.). People seem to gravitate to this environment for many different reasons. Most visit us just for fun, to search for a new feline family member, or simply seeking a locally sourced vegan cupcake and cup of coffee. There are others though, who seem to be drawn to our café for more meaningful reasons. I will now introduce you to Brynn. I distinctly remember the first day that Brynn visited the café. We had only been open for about a month, and while we scrambled to hire enough staff, I would occasionally work a shift in the cat room. On this particular day, Brynn and another teenager, who I will call Tina, came in for the first time to spend some time with the cats. Both girls didn't seem to be overtly friendly and kept some distance from me; not so much a physical distance as much as just avoiding eye contact or any communication beyond what was necessary. I went over the rules, the waiver and briefly explained our partnership with the Humane Society. As Brynn reached for a pen to sign a waiver, I noticed numerous heavy, unmistakable, partially healed cut marks on her arms as her sleeve slid back off of her forearm. She quickly grabbed the pen, and clipboard with the waiver, and after she and Tina signed, Brynn laid the clipboard down on a table at the other side of the room and they both started the search for cats to pet. Although both girls were teenagers, I couldn't help but notice that Brynn didn't seem to have a youthful appearance. She seemed sad, tired, and had a look of resignation, while in contrast, Tina seemed to be trying almost too hard to be uplifting and positive. By this time, my afternoon employee arrived for her shift. I should stop here and explain that we love each and every one of our employees. They all, without exception, have huge hearts and beautiful souls. One employee, Joi, would best be described as one of the most eclectic people I have ever met in my life. When she first interviewed for the job, fresh off of what she called an extended "walkabout", both my daughter and I were taken back with her striking persona. I could spend an entire article on just describing her, but to summarize, it is best to portray her as an artist, one who has managed to live in her art in such an honest, truthful way, being a bit bohemian, but in a way that transcends any kind of stereotypical trendiness or fashion. By far the edgiest thing about Joi is the bold, colorful tattoos on her arms, but knowing Joi, even those would have been chosen in a meaningful way, and not as a fashion statement. Beyond her persona though, Joi is profoundly responsible, caring and motherly, having an "old soul". For being such a young woman herself, she has become just as much of an emotional lifeline and mentor as a friend to many of our other People seem to gravitate to this environment for many different reasons.