Idaho’s First Cat Cafe coming soon to Pocatello, “Connection without Consumption” and cats for mental health at Caturdays208

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – Idaho is one of only two states left in the U.S. without a cat cafe. Shannon Fox and her fiancé are taking the leap of faith and entrepreneur journey of building "Caturdays208" from scratch: a "two spaces, one roof" business that's half cafe, half lounge with adoptable cats.

The key is to keep the two sides of the new community destination separate, but cohesive. Fox ensured that no cat hair would be in the food or drinks. Rather, the cats will be in a separate lounge section of the establishment. Customers will be able to enjoy food or drinks from the cafe and interact with adoptable cats.

"It allows a really great partnership with other animal rescue services to provide more spaces for cats, so that way our community can help navigate the overpopulation problems," Fox said.

She added the inspiration for Caturdays208 came from understanding many people want to interact with animals regularly, but don't have the capacity to own them. With a background in social work, Fox also said animals are excellent for mental health.

"I want to build a grounding business versus a consumption based business," she explained. "That means having people come to a place where they can kind of center themselves, have some fun, interact with animals and reduce their stress."

Pocatello is also known for being a college town, home to thousands of students at Idaho State University. Fox says this makes Pocatello the perfect home for a cat cafe, with many students unable to have their own animals nearby, the cafe will provide a comfortable space to regularly care for cats without the responsibilities of being a pet owner.

Currently, Fox and her team are in the beginning stages of the establishment– looking for the perfect space to transform into the cat cafe. She said they're aiming for somewhere in between the ISU campus and the historic downtown district. They also have begun raising awareness and funds via their website and social medias.

"We're currently in the fundraising stage as well, with a three-pronged approach," Fox said. "We have a Go Fund Me going right now and everyone who donates gets a little free gift. We want to respect everyone who contributes to this idea. Crowdfunding is huge for us."

Caturdays208 is also selling merch like T-shirts, available on their website to help fund their new business. They're also running a Kickstarter, a program where donations are accepted for a certain amount of time or it goes back to the donators.

"You must reach the goal that you set for your campaign or else you don't get any of the funding, so that's a pretty critical campaign for us," Fox said. The Kickstarter will begin in September, with a goal of all three fundraising tactics to bring in between $40,000 and $50,000.

Fox also said that Caturdays208 will have reservations and walk-ins available to see the cats. People who want to interact with specific cats or have extended, secure time with the animals can book an appointment in advance. If a customer wants to adopt a cat, Fox said they'll be working closely with their community partners' regulations to give the kittens forever homes.

"We want to be an asset to the community instead of creating anything that would harm the rescues currently," she said.

Caturdays208 is partnering with the Pocatello Animal Services shelter as well as other local rescues to make the cat cafe a reality in the coming months. Fox said they hope to have the lease on a space secured by October, with a grand opening in January 2027.

"The best way to help now is just share and spread the word," Fox said. "We're looking to see our merch pop up everywhere as soon as possible and get funds through presale. Just jumping on our website or socials, it's been really fun to see all the comments and see how excited people are about the idea."

To donate to Caturdays208 and be part of the original group of supporters for Idaho's first cat cafe, visit their website at Caturdays208.com. To donate to the GoFundMe, visit gofund.me/base.wall.moon.