Blue Cat gets its Cafe

It’s been a big news week for Austin cats and their people. First, last weekend’s KittyPalooza oversaw a record number of adoptions, and now this: As Austin Eater reports, the Blue Cat Cafe is one step closer to becoming a reality after owner Rebecca Gray signed a lease at 95 Navasota St. As the name suggests, the Blue Cat Cafe – which since February has raised more than $60,000 through crowdsourced funding – will be a cafe with cats. According to Blue Cat Cafe’s website, it will be “a place to hang out, pet kitties, have fun, and eat & drink.” Cats will be on hand not just for cuddling but also for adopting “via rescues such as the Humane Society of Austin,” according to the site. Some readers might recognize the cafe’s address. It neighbors the site of the former Jumpolin, the piñata shop whose widely publicized demolition last February, ahead of South by Southwest, set off a firestorm of controversy about gentrification on the East Side.