The Cat Shoppe is the closest thing to Cat Heaven that I have ever seen. It's a Cats R Us for toys, there's a veritable smorgasbord of the best cat foods on the planet, and you can live and wear your love of cats with the selection of boutiquey items in abundance there. If you need a gift for a cat loving friend, you can find it. And not only can you fill a shopping bag (or two, or three), but you have also found a place where you can fill your heart. There are cats there. Not cats in a row of cages, but cats living there, homestyle. And they have stories. Sometimes the stories are written down and you can read them, sometimes they're told to you. A beautiful purebred cat whose owners had it declawed and then didn't want it anymore. A kitten with a very tiny limp whose leg was originally mangled by a car but was brought back to life by physical (and emotional) therapy right there at the Cat Shoppe. There's a jar where you can donate, it's a 501c3 charity, and I always do, even if just a little, because I know little bits add up. You can see your money at work there. And the stories have happy endings, because the cats are for adoption, and when you hear that one has found a perfect forever home, you come away feeling much better than you usually feel at the end of a shopping experience. They obviously cannot save every homeless kitty in the world. But they certainly do their part. And they don't have to. They could just sell the stuff. The very, very good stuff. Shop at the Cat Shoppe. No buyer's remorse. Ever.
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