Page 4
April 8, 2015
2015
photos by O livia O livia /T he P ortland O bserver
Sergio Castillo is making it easier for people to enjoy the emotional and health benefits of cats with
his new Purrington Cat Lounge café on Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
In memory
of Joyce Washington
and Charles Washington
New cat lounge café
for their tireless work
it a connection
in the Portland Community. makes
O
O
Finding Love from a Pet
by
Come join us on
May 16, 2015
at
SEI, 3920 N. Kerby, Portland, OR 97217
Featuring many top athletic talents from
Portland high schools, in match-up
basketball games girls.
Excellent ad rates are available
for our ad sponsors.
Ad deadline is May 5th, 2015.
Contact us TODAY for the best ad rates and placement.
Joyce Washington Classic
For more info:
Mark Washington -- email: markw@portlandobserver.com
or Phone: (503) 288-9443
Talunaka Washington -- email: talunaka@yahoo.com
SPONSORS:
livia
livia
T he P ortland O bserver
A new minority-owned business is trying to make
it easier for people to enjoy the emotional and health
benefits of cat ownership.
Purrington’s Cat Lounge on Northeast Martin Lu-
ther King Jr. Boulevard opened its doors earlier this
year, fulfilling the owners Sergio and Kristen Cas-
tillo’s dream of helping animals find homes while
simultaneously bringing pet ownership education to
the local community.
Long time residents of northeast Portland, the
couple has always had a passion for cats. When
some friends living abroad in France told them about
a cat café in Paris, they decided it was something
they wanted to try.
“So many people don’t know how much they can
benefit from the love of a pet,” says Kristen Castillo
of her work getting cats into adoptive homes. “Cats
have been shown to lower blood pressure, improve
mental health, and even extend the lives of their
owners. We want to make cat ownership easier and
decrease the barriers to pet ownership.”
Purrington’s has set up an exchange with a local
shelter, the Cat Adoption Team, and sometimes gets
cats from other parts of the country that no longer
have room in their no-kill shelters. Some cats which
would otherwise be put down for lack of space find
second chances in Portland, where no-kill shelters
are more abundant and have more funding.
So far, just over a dozen cats have been adopted
by local families because of their efforts.
“For some people,” says Kristen, “going out to
some of the larger shelters at the edge of town is out
of the question, or just something they wouldn’t do.
Here, people just walk past a window and might see
a cat and fall in love.”
Sergio Castillo agreed, adding that the café is
planning to eventually add even more services like
pet-owner education courses and guidance groups,
along with stress-relief and management courses
that would allow locals to do yoga or meditate in the
company of the cats.
“The cats tend to enjoy being here instead of at
the shelter. They move freely and get to visit the
guests,” he said. “People who can’t afford to own a
cat or live in a place where pets aren’t allowed can
Sergio and Kristen Castillo open Purrington’s
Cat Lounge at 3529 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr.
Blvd., fulfilling their dream of helping animals
find homes while simultaneously bringing pet
ownership and pet companionship to the local
community.
come here and get the benefits of pets without having
to pay a big deposit or worry about vet bills.”
The Castillo’s say they only bring in cats for
which being in a café and moving around near peo-
ple won’t be too stressful. The felines can also retreat
to a back area behind the visitation lounge, where
they can avoid people if they get “petted out.”
The lounge is also full of hiding holes, toys,
climbing areas, and comfortable pet bets for the cats
to enjoy. Usually, there is between eight to ten cats
available in the cat lounge, with a capped number of
visitors inside the lounge at a time.
Visitors to the café pay $8 for entry, but the entry
fee might be waived if several of the cats have been
adopted, are sick, have retreated, or absent for what-
ever reason that day. The money helps maintain the
cats and keep the owners in business.
The café also sells snacks and beverages.
Purrington’s is currently hosting a supply drive
for the Cat Adoption Team shelter. Visitors can do-
nate needed items or cash from a Giving Tree of re-
quests from the shelter. For more information, visit
purringtonscatlounge.com.