The cat’s meow: Roselle business hosts special events to find homes for feline friends

Nobody enjoys a good stretch as much as a cat, so what makes more sense than cat yoga?

The answer is probably nothing. And that’s why 15 women, outnumbered by more than 20 cats, hit the yoga mats on a recent Friday evening at The Cat House in Roselle, all in the name of mindfulness, flexibility and maybe even finding forever homes for some furry feline friends.

For nearly two years, the suburbs’ first cat cafe has offered a place for people to relax and hang with a couple of dozen kitties, all of whom are available for adoption.

Owner Irene Lee and her group of volunteers have helped find homes for almost 500 cats since opening the business at 344 E. Irving Park Road in late June 2024.

“It feels good, it’s very fulfilling,” Lee said.

Lee, who characterized opening the business as a “quarter-life crisis,” had a long history of volunteering in shelters and fostering animals before deciding to try something new after several years as a social worker.

She works with two organizations that supply her with inventory, err, cats — St. Sophia's Forgotten Felines in Wheaton and Forever Fortunate Felines, a foster-based organization that operates throughout multiple states. As of Thursday, she had found forever homes for 488 kitties.

For $15, you can spend 45 minutes petting and playing with a clutter of cats, generally between 10 and 30 furry friends.

“We want to find homes for these cats, but it’s also a good place for people to come for some cat therapy,” she said. “We get people who come on their lunch break or after work when they’ve had a bad day. It brings some joy.”

Regular hours for the lounge are Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. It also hosts after-hours events about once a week, including “mewvie” nights, sip and paint with the cats, and, of course, the monthly yoga events.

“Cats love the mats, and they’re pretty interactive,” Lee said.

Olivia Rossi of Elmhurst was there on a recent Friday night. She said she’s a “semi-recent” cat person and was really enjoying her first cat yoga experience.

“It’s very relaxing,” Rossi said. “The cats are so chill.”

Sami Van Loan of Naperville said it was also her first experience with any type of animal yoga. She was frequently visited by a number of curious cats during the session.

Was it all she thought it would be?

“Yes, and more,” she said. “It was just a lot of fun hanging out with them.”