Andover's first cat cafe gets ready for a 'purr-fect' opening
Cafe is the idea of 15-year-old cat-loving schoolboy Jack Waue
Last updated 16th Oct 2023
A cat loving 15-year-old boy is preparing to open his own cat cafe in Andover.
With the support of his family Jack Waue is planning to unveil the café in Winchester Street next month.
The teenager first put the idea into the public domain when he entered the 'Youth in Test Valley Award' last year - although he didn't win the award it gained him lots of supporters.
Jack said:
"Went to one a few years ago and thought 'wow that's nice why can't Andover have one?' It's like an ordinary cafe not like one of those really modern interior type ones it was just a comfy, homy, it's like where someone would live."
The cafe is working with Basingstoke-based not-for-profit animal rescue organisation 'Helping Dogs and Cats UK' - Jack and his family will foster the cats at the cafe and invite people to come and see if they want to adopt them.
Jack's father Stuart says he hopes the 'cat-fe' will become a local attraction:
"We've got a very quiet town centre and there's been so much positive support for it (the cat cafe) from people who'd like to visit one in Andover rather than travel elsewhere, and it would be really nice to have something in the town that people travel into from outside the town for once."
It's hoped the cafe will open in mid-November.
Fitting out of the former restaurant is continuing at pace and then the cats have to settle in before it can finally open to the public.