Rhode Island SPCA issues statement concerning Bajah’s Cat Cafe, cats to be put up for adoption

There have been strong opinions since cats were removed Friday from Tiverton’s Bajah’s Cat Cafe over a licensing issue. The RISPCA has released a statement expressing their side of the situation.

The statement reads as follows:

“The Rhode Island SPCA responded to a call from Tiverton PD and Animal Control to assess claims made about Bajah’s Cat Cafe. Upon arrival, we noticed several of the cats were exhibiting mild URI symptoms. All of the cats do have recent veterinary records and besides having colds, they are in good shape and were well cared for. The facility was clean, and the owner was very cooperative. We collaborated with government agencies and came to the conclusion that the owner was operating a cat rescue without the proper licensing or zoning for the activities being conducted. Because the owner intended to continue to operate a café at the premises, she was required to remove most of the cats from the property. The RISPCA was available to accept the surrender of the cats, and 18 cats were voluntarily surrendered to us. The owner of the cat café has been informed by the officials from the Town of Tiverton and RI DEM of the permits and approvals that will be required for her to re-open as a rescue facility.

“For those concerned about what will happen to the cats, they will be looked at by our veterinarian and are receiving any treatments they need. Once medically cleared, they will be put up for adoption. We do not euthanize our animals for any reason other than poor quality of life or medical necessity and those instances are very few and far between. The average length of stay for our cats before adoption is 2 weeks, with some only being in the shelter for a few days. Those kept here longer generally either have medical or behavioral issues, and we work tirelessly to make them eligible for adoption as quickly as possible. Every cat is socialized everyday with time outside of their kennels by staff and volunteers. Our cat kennels are spacious and clean, and we have a full-time employee with extensive experience and certifications who provides behavioral support to the cats in our facility as well as post adoption support.

Unfortunately, it is a real and ongoing issue in the rescue world, when people acting with good faith take on more than they should. It’s hard to say “no” to a surrender request when animals need help. We face that issue every single day, but you must recognize that regulations and license requirements are in place in order to protect the health and safety of the animals and the public. We appreciate the concern for the wellbeing of these cats, and we are working to get them into forever homes as soon as possible. We pride ourselves on the level of care we give all of our animals and even though situations like this stress our capabilities and are challenging for our veterinary team and animal care staff, and public misperceptions often give rise to vitriolic comments, we will continue to respond when animals are in need. Please check rispca.org regularly for the next 2 weeks. We expect these cats will be available for adoption soon and that most, if not all, will be placed into forever homes before the start of the New Year. Thank you for your support.”