We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kristi Labrenz. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kristi below.

Kristi, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

I am dedicated to a mission of saving cats! In Los Angeles, there is an alarmingly large stray cat population, estimated at around 3 million, and sadly, there are not enough homes to rescue them all from the hardships of the streets or euthanasia in the shelter. Growing up, I had the privilege of being surrounded by various house pets, but my special connection was with cats. As a child, I fondly recall spending countless hours earning the trust of stray cats and eventually welcoming them into our family as cherished household pets. Today, I am fortunate to extend this passion on a larger scale and platform, contributing to the adoption of over a thousand cats. CatCafe Lounge stands out as LA’s first and only nonprofit Cat Cafe, providing adoptable rescue cats with a cage-free sanctuary until they find their forever homes. 6 years and counting!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am originally from Houston Texas and one of two daughters of Canadian parents. We were a small family living in the suburbs but my parents always let us have pet; dogs, cats, hamsters, rabbits, turtles, fish, you name it! Fun fact, I am allergic to dogs AND cats! After graduating from The University of Texas I pursued a career in Sales/Marketing for fortune 500 companies and eventually moved on to a fast growth startup. After my departure from what was initially a small startup, and has since evolved into a major player in the plant-based movement, a transformative moment unfolded during my visit to a cat cafe in Japan in 2015. This experience ignited the idea of introducing a similar concept to the US, with a distinctive twist – creating a space where all the cats would be adoptable.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Connect with peers in your industry and be authentic! I engaged with prominent rescues and animal welfare groups, seeking to both learn from their experiences and demonstrate my genuine commitment to being an ally in our shared mission. Additionally, as a nonprofit cat cafe – a rarity in itself – we recognize that today’s consumers are discerning; they want assurance that their money is being managed with a clear mission in mind.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Similar to many small businesses, we faced the need to reconsider our operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the loss of our revenue stream and adopters, we were at risk of losing the opportunity to assist cats precisely when they needed us the most. To navigate this challenge, we initiated fundraising efforts to sustain our operations and built an outdoor space, called a Catio. Being a nonprofit, our community showed immense support, contributing to keeping our operations afloat. People expressed eagerness to assist by fostering cats and were willing to engage in safe, COVID-conscious meet-and-adopt sessions. In the end, we successfully helped save approximately 100 cats during the three months of Los Angeles’ COVID shutdown.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.catcafelounge.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/catcafelounge
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/catcafelounge
• Other: ticktok www.tiktok.com/catcafeloungela

Image Credits
2 different agencies: Erica Danger, Mark Edwards Photos