Cat Yoga at Sip and Purr Cafe

Sip and Purr Cat Cafe is the dream business come true by Katy McHugh. Sip and Purr Cafe is Milwaukee’s first cat cafe. McHugh says she owes the idea of her now very successful business to a cat that bonded with her at a cafe in Amsterdam.

The cat nuzzled up on her lap and she enjoyed the experience there so much she wanted to bring it home. In 2018 on June 1st Sip and Purr had its grand opening. The cafe partners with Lakeland Animal Shelter to help cats find forever homes in the area. Katy believes after her experience in Amsterdam that you should be allowed to take the cat home with you that you may have fallen in love within the cafe. 

The cat lounge where the cats are free to roam and events take place is in full view of the cafe, however separate from it. At Sip and Purr, the barista and cook are not allowed to interact with the cats in the cat lounge. The lounge is sectioned off from the cafe, however, you can bring your own food into the lounge. This is for reasons of cross-contamination concerns. Shelby Daft is a barista at Sip and Purr and says it is the most tempting thing ever looking into the cat lounge during a shift and not being able to pay attention to them. However, she says it’s like a reward to finally pet them after a long shift. 

“I think the cat cafe offers not only good food and beverage options for all diet types but also kitty cuddles for the community,” Daft says. “Today is Sunday, so we have cat yoga every Sunday morning from 10-11:30 am. It’s the best. The cats pick up on the chill vibes and all their personalities really come out in there you’ll see.” 

As cat yoga began in the lounge everyone rolled out their mats as did I. Sip and Purr brings in a professional yoga instructor on Sundays, she asked everyone to get comfortable and we would begin. A little cat stretched its paws out onto my mat and was around me the majority of the session. Yoga with cats was a fun experience and everyone attending was very much relaxed as were the cats. Daft says “More students should take advantage of yoga with cats and the cat lounge in general, it’s only five bucks. There’s honestly nothing better you can do for your mental health than being around animals in my opinion.” 

Katy McHugh is not only a small business owner but a flight attendant as well. Daft says the cat that was crawling around my mat during yoga looks very similar to an Egyptian cat that was found by McHugh and is the success story of the cafe. Daft says the cat Nala was found in the streets of Egypt by McHugh herself while she was away on business. The full story of Nala is on Sip and Purr’s website. Sip and Purr is the first cat cafe to bring cats from overseas that are in need of being adopted. 

McHugh says that many people fall in love with cats during yoga. “Animals pick up on energies better than we do as humans. If you notice a cat is hanging around you in there that means they like your energy for whatever reason.” Says McHugh. “I’m so glad I’m able to bring this unique experience [the cat cafe] to Milwaukee. Yoga with cats is just one of the many perks it brings.” 

As far as adoptions go, Sip and Purr have found forever homes for over 300 cats since they opened. Daft explained that the “free roam” concept helps form connections easier. Letting the guest get to know a cat pretty well first before considering bringing it home. “The last thing we want is for the fit not to be good because that’ll just lead to more complications which the human or the cat don’t need,” Daft says. 

The instructor of our cat yoga session added that all profits of events in the cat lounge go to Lakeland Animal Shelter for supplies for their cats that are not able to be housed in the lounge. Yoga with cats was defiantly an event worth experiencing, even as a beginner level yogi. If you are a Milwaukee east sider Sip and Purr’s Yoga with Cats is a must-try event.