{"id":1089,"date":"2025-11-16T20:49:28","date_gmt":"2025-11-16T20:49:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/?p=1089"},"modified":"2025-11-16T20:49:28","modified_gmt":"2025-11-16T20:49:28","slug":"monroe-attorney-makes-a-case-for-her-nonprofit-cat-cafe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pe-ts.fun\/?p=1089","title":{"rendered":"Monroe attorney makes a case for her nonprofit cat caf\u00e9"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n

MONROE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS<\/a>) \u2014 Downtown Monroe is where important connections are made. From the outside, it seems like business as usual, but we\u2019ve barely scratched the surface.<\/p>\n

Coffee is always a good ice breaker when you\u2019re trying to meet your match, even when that match is a fur baby.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we try to create a nice meeting space,\u201d says Michelle Vereckey, owner of Charlie\u2019s Cat Caf\u00e9 on North Main Street in Historic Downtown Monroe.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very much a cat person,\u201d says Alison Van Bergen.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m originally a dog person,\u201d says Simon.<\/p>\n

At the caf\u00e9, they find common ground, no coffee pun intended.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou just get to come and experience all of the love that kittens have,\u201d said Van Bergen.<\/p>\n

There are close to a dozen cats at any given time. And soon, Charlie\u2019s is unveiling a kitten room \u2014 which is exactly as adorable as it sounds.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, how can you not be in a good mood when you\u2019re here,\u201d says Jill Grigston, who comes with her kids a lot.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t just a place where felines give families the feels, not that there\u2019s anything wrong with that.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had a lot of people tell me it\u2019s very therapeutic,\u201d Vereckey said.<\/p>\n

She created a spot where someone interested in adopting a cat doesn\u2019t have to make a rushed decision.<\/p>\n

As if she\u2019s not busy enough, the local attorney launched the nonprofit Charlie\u2019s Angels Animal Sanctuary<\/a> and the cat caf\u00e9 in the old space above her law office that\u2019s been everything from a grocery store to a clothing shop over the years.<\/p>\n

Vereckey tells Queen City News she was motivated by bad adoption experiences.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey brought the cat in, they gave us like five minutes, came back and knocked on the door and said, \u2018Do you want the cat?\u2019 And I was just like, \u2018I don\u2019t even know this cat?\u2019\u201d Vereckey said.<\/p>\n

She ditched the speed dating concept and allows prospective pet owners the chance to fall in love in a more relaxed setting.<\/p>\n

Even if you\u2019re not in the market for a cat, you\u2019re welcome to book time with them in the caf\u00e9.<\/p>\n

For the safety of the animals, guests must be at least seven years old.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a dog, and he does not prefer cats. So this is our chance to cuddle and play with cats,\u201c Grigston said.<\/p>\n

In Charlie\u2019s Cat Caf\u00e9\u2019s first year, 161 kitties were adopted.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re just so happy to get them homes,\u201d says Vereckey.<\/p>\n

So, she\u2019s not lying to them.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always tell the cats, \u2018It only gets better from here,\u2019\u201d she said with a laugh.<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"