The Chatty Cat Café and Westwood Tattoo Collective have teamed up to present their first-ever Cattoo Fundraiser to benefit rescue cats. This unique six-hour event is scheduled for October 25 from noon until 6 p.m.
The Chatty Cat Café owner, Erica Roberts, and her husband Brandon Roberts, who owns Westwood Tattoo Collective, have wanted to do a collaboration like this for a while.
“I have been begging him to do a cat tattoo fundraiser, pretty much since we opened, if not before then,” shared Erica.
A selection of seven cat-inspired tattoos has been specially designed for the fundraiser by Westwood Tattoo Collective. These Cattoos are a set size of two by two inches and can be tattooed on either an arm or leg. This is exclusively a walk-in, first-come, first-served event providing Cattoos to those who are 18 and over and who bring their photo ID. The cost to get your cat-themed ink is $80, which must be paid for with cash. Additionally, a limited-edition collaboration t-shirt will be available for $30; the first ten customers will get one for free!
“I do help feed and take care of the cats, etc. but having something I can [do] financially that helps, feels even better,” said Brandon.
Westwood Tattoo Collective is normally only open by appointment to provide a more relaxed tattoo experience. So taking walk-ins will be out of the norm for Brandon and the two other artists who will be tattooing.
“This event will be pretty special … this will be the first walk-in event at the shop,” said Brandon.
To make the day all the more memorable, those attending may want to stop by The Chatty Cat Café to visit with the cats. A half hour in the cat lounge is $10, and an hour is $15 per person.
“If they are done with their appointment, they come over [to The Chatty Cat Café] and show off their tattoo. And when they come in the lounge, they’ll get a free iced coffee that day,” Erica said. “That way, they get to hang out with the cats that they’re, you know, helping, and show off their tattoos and get some free coffee.”
All proceeds brought in from the event will support The Chatty Cat Compassion Fund, established to help cover medical expenses for rescue cats.
“Basically, it’s a fund that we started that helps us help our rescue and shelter partners,” Erica explained. “There is sometimes a financial restraint when it comes to being able to help all the cats that they’re seeing and they’re coming across. So, we started the Compassion Fund because we have the place to put them once they’re vetted, but sometimes getting them the vet care they need can be really expensive for our rescue partners. So, currently, we take care of like, you know, the food and the litter and everything the cats need while they’re here, and the Compassion Fund allows us to also cover vet bills. So, more cats they can say yes to, and more cats we can take from the shelter by covering those vet bills, and then they come here to get adopted.”
The Chatty Cat Café has been proactive for over two years in helping rescue cats through a business model that is a blend of coffee shop and cat rescue. The cafe has placed over 365 cats into stable, loving homes since opening in 2023. Currently, over 30 cats are patiently waiting to meet their new human(s) and to get adopted.
“[I’m] super proud,” Brandon said, “She [Erica] works so hard, and to see it pay off on both sides is really awesome. I knew once she left the corporate world, she’d be much happier and successful.”
Westwood Tattoo Collective is located in the Colony Square Mall (3575 Maple Ave., Zanesville), just around the corner from The Chatty Cat Café. For more information about the event, visit The Chatty Cat Café on Facebook. To learn more about Westwood Tattoo Collective and to see their work, you can also find them on Facebook or Instagram.