For the past 30 years, Anne Beal has been deeply involved in fostering and rescue work for cats. Animals have always held a special place in her heart.
Six years ago, she decided she wanted to start her own business, but the tricky part was trying to explain the concept to people who had never heard of the premise of a cat lounge.
Her idea was simple, yet effective: She would offer free space to local shelters to house their cats, allowing them to provide more room for housing animals at their locations. It would not only increase cats' chances of adoption, but it would be a place of connection between both people and friendly felines in need of a home.
She recalls making phone calls to state and town officials to pitch the idea, only to find that no one seemed to understand what she was talking about. Feeling defeated, she put the idea on the backburner for a while.
Over the years, the business concept she had in mind started gaining popularity in different areas. In a leap of faith, Anne decided to sell her beloved pet boarding business to pursue her dream of opening a cat lounge.
Located on 630 Main Street in Westbrook, Anne’s business Meow Lounge offers people a fun, safe place to gather and spend time with adoptable cats from local shelters.
Whether it's hosting activities like presentations, cat yoga, tarot card reading, or cat trivia, Anne wants her business to be a hub where people can gather and connect. They even offer the space for book studies, giving people a quiet area to work or hang out with our feline friends.
While Meow lounge does’t directly handle the adoptions, anyone interested in a cat or kitten can fill out adoption paperwork and submit it to the shelter, or contact them directly for more information.
More than anything, Anne hopes that people will also consider fostering animals as an alternative to adopting. She believes that together, we can make a real difference in the lives of cats who deserve love, care and forever homes.
