Alisha Reynolds is the creator behind Pawsitivitea CNY, the only local cat cafe and lounge.

It's in the building next to the Regional Market.

“We happened to see a documentary on cat cafes," said Reynolds. “I thought it would be funny to see if there was one on the way home and we found one in Norfolk, Virginia. We stopped in there and thought it was a cool idea and the rest is history.”

She does it all. She feeds the cats, makes the food, serves the customers, and even makes decorations. 

It’s a lot of work, but she said the cats make it worth while.

“Having all the cats around, it’s like if I’m having a bad time, I get distracted for five minutes and ‘oh look they are doing something cute’,” said Reynolds.

Alisha has always been an animal lover. Not only does she have six cats of her own, but she has about a dozen birds. It’s why she made sure the cats at the cafe come from local shelters and are all adoptable.

Since she opened in September, she’s helped 36 find a home.

“It’s something different it helps the community in one more ways than one,” said Reynolds.

Meeting the cats is a fairly simple process and COVID-19 safe.

You schedule and pay for your time in the lounge online. You can order your drink ahead of time too.