Riley

Riley was adopted by our very own Cat Care Attendant, Arden. The first day of working, they knew that Riley was special! Arden messaged their husband about Riley, and their husband’s response was, “It’s the first day!” We all laughed at the response, but Arden knew that if only they could get their husband here, they would understand why Riley had to join their family.

As a couple who already had three cats, it was understandable why adding a forth to the mix might be questionable. Would Riley get a long with the other cats? Would Arden want to bring home every cat from the cat cafe? In Arden’s defense, they used to have four cats and one of them passed away. The cats themselves were used to being in pairs since that’s how they joined the family. So in their mind, Riley would make the family whole again!

The gray swirly tabby was part of an unfortunate hoarding situation. When the owner moved, he left behind Riley and many other cats. Thankfully, the neighbor noticed these kitties and took action! She took Riley to be neutered and vaccinated and reached out to a rescue. After being at the rescue for 9 months, the owner knew that someone at the cat cafe would fall in love with him.

Since Riley was used to being around other cats, he loved to run and play with Arlene and Pete at the cat cafe! But when people started walking through the doors, his history of neglect and abandonment told him to hide. As time went on, he started to become more comfortable with visitors. He moved slowly through the cafe, still on alert, but wanting to explore.

What grew the most was his bond with Arden. In the morning, Riley would greet Arden with little chirps and ask for pets. Just as the rescue owner predicted, Arden couldn’t help but fall in love with Riley! Two days after the cat cafe opened, Arden’s husband agreed to come meet the shy boy. It was clear why Arden thought Riley would be the purrfect addition to their family.

Less than 24 hours after the meeting, Arden submitted the adoption application. Then would come the LONG eight-day-wait until Arden could bring Riley home. They wanted to bring Riley home immediately. However, it was only fair to the patrons who wanted to say good bye to Riley to have him stay Sunday. During his last few days at the cafe, Riley’s confidence continued to grow! Although he still didn’t prefer the company of children, he allowed visitors to pet him and played with his friends when the space was more relaxed.

Thankfully since Arden continues to work at the cafe, we often receive updates on how he is doing in their home. The other cats are finally coming around to accepting Riley as part of their family. He has become ever so playful and cuddly! His peculiar way of drinking water (by getting it all over his face) has remained the same. Most importantly, Riley knows that he is part of a family who will never leave him behind again!