Brews and Mews hosts pet food drive
Nov. 1—LENOIR — The Brews and Mews Cat Cafe in downtown Lenoir is the first and only cat cafe in western North Carolina.
Sherri Biederman, owner of Brews and Mews, is dedicated to taking care of animals and helping them find their forever homes.
Starting on Tuesday, Nov. 1 and finishing on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 24), Brews and Mews will be accepting donations of unopened food for any kind of pet. At the end of the month, the cat cafe will donate the food to local animal rescues in the area.
"In our county, we have Pet Partners and Partners for Cats," said Biederman. "Other rescues nearby include Cat's Cradle and Animal Control, but we also want to give food to Yokefellow and LEOS [Lenoir Emergency Outreach Shelter] because often with homeless people, their animals are the last thing they're going to give up. If we donate it to LEOS or Yokefellow, they can get them the food, and this way they can provide for their pet."
Biederman's goal is to completely stuff the front window of the cafe with bags of dry food, canned wet food, and all kinds of treats. For every 10 pounds that an individual donates, they will receive a raffle ticket that will be entered in a drawing for the chance to win two hours in the cat room. The winner's name will be drawn on Black Friday.
"It can be for you and a guest, or you can give them out as Christmas gifts, whatever," said Biederman. "It would make for a really cheap stocking stuffer."
The cat cafe will accept any brand or type of pet food.
"We're not going to be picky," Biederman said. "We're just glad to have it and distribute it out to the various rescues."
Interested individuals may bring as much food as they want for as long as the donation period lasts.
"I do want people to know that the cafe will not touch any of that food," Biederman said. "Our rescue, Fur Babies Rescue, will not touch that food. In fact, we will be donating to it because we are fortunate to have enough food. We get donations all the time from the sweetest people. If we can alleviate the need for rescues to have to spend money on food, they can then focus their funds on medical emergencies, vet bills, or spays and neuters. That was our goal with this."
She also said that she is fighting the stigma that cats are running around loose in the cafe. She assures customers that the cats are kept separate and both the cat room and cafe are cleaned and sanitized daily.
Brews and Mews Cat Cafe (219 Main Street, Lenoir) is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Customers can leave donations, buy delicious coffee, or spend a scheduled hour in the cat room during those times. Additionally, for children ages 6 and under, "Happy Meow-ers" are available by appointment Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Visit Brews and Mews Cat Cafe on Facebook or visit www.brewsandmewscafe.com to find more information and make an appointment for a session in the cat room. Contact the cafe via Facebook message or by calling 828-572-0589, and staff will be happy to answer any questions.
Biederman said that she would love to have enough food to keep some in reserve as a sort of pet food bank.
"We can't save every cat, but this is our way to try to help," said Biederman. "If there's an individual who follows our page that needs help, they can reach out and we can get them some food, treats, whatever. We've done it before in the past several times. It would be awesome if it overflowed and the community came together."
