Written by RENEE DiNINO / photos courtesy of Marcie’s Angels Cat Cafe
Who wouldn’t want nine lives, especially if all of them included visits to Marcie’s Angels Cat Café, located in Glastonbury, Conn. “Our mission is simple: to provide a safe, clean and comfortable space for people to enjoy the company of our adorable cats.” This is an incredible meeting place for humans and felines and the opportunity to meet your purr-fect companion, support local cat rescue Protectors of Animals, and enjoy delicious beverages and treats! You may even book a reading with their spiritualist for past cat lives!
The cafe was named in honor of Marcie, owner Beth Drazaks’ beloved cat. This is a place where her memory will continuously be showcased and help create new bonds with people and pets like the one shared between Drazaks and Marcie.
“She was my first adult fur baby. I mean I had cats while growing up, but she was like my first adult baby to me before my human kids. She would go everywhere with me, to work, to events, everywhere. Marcie was an alpha calico cat who didn’t always love other people, but she always loved me,” according to Drazaks.
When Drazaks was in her 20’s, she became obsessed with the idea of opening a rescue with a twist. The idea was to open a spot where people could come in, socialize, potentially adopt and keep the cats entertained.
“It’s therapeutic too; college students use it during exam time to relax. When people need a break from work or a stressful situation, they come, pet a cat or just sit in the room. We have yoga with cats and many events to promote mental health and wellbeing. Everyone says they’re so calm after their session, we often say we should take their blood pressure at the start of their visit and at the end!” says Drazaks.
Located in Glastonbury and open four days a week, you can visit marciesangelscatcafe.com for times and enjoy the cafe and treats during business hours without reservations and enjoy three large viewing windows to watch the cats at play. But if you want to interact with the cats, you must reserve your spot. You can go online, fill out the waiver to reserve your spot and time. The cost is $15 for 50 minutes. If you should find your “fur-ever” friend, Protectors of Animals handles all the adoptions.
Protectors of Animals is a 501c3 animal rescue who has been a trusted voice in animal advocacy since 1975. They are a no-kill animal shelter and rescue here in Connecticut and you can find out more by visiting them at poainc.org.
The cafe opened in August of 2024 after a year and a half of research and renovations. This is a lifelong wish for Drazaks and “my pre-retirement passion project,” she says.
Ultimately, the goal is to get as many cats into their forever homes, educate the public on cats and their unique qualities, and give them a loving and safe foster home until their adoption.
Marcie’s Angels Cat Cafe is fully responsible for the care of the cats while they are at the café. If you would like to help, there is a link to their Amazon Wish List and a Venmo account online you can donate to. You can also find them on social media on Facebook and Instagram where you can see a listing of their upcoming events and pictures of all the furry residents.
One thing of note Drazaks would like to share with the public is, “never give up on your dreams, nothing is too big or too far out of reach; be prepared to fall in love when you come visit. So, make those reservations.”
Renee DiNino is a radio and TV host, blogger, podcaster, public speaker and animal advocate. Connect on Facebook @reneedininoct, Instagram @reneedinino and Twitter @myctcommunity.
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