The Whitewater Area Chamber of Commerce has announced that BaristaCats Cafe, 135 W. Center St., has opened in Whitewater. 

The chamber was on-hand Tuesday to help the company with its opening by providing a ribbon-cutting ceremony. 

According to information released by the chamber, the Whitewater BaristaCats Cafe is Walworth County’s “first all-encompassing cat cafe.” 

The cafe’s owner, Natalie Serna, has expressed a passion for cats, seeing a perfect home for the endeavor in the university town, the release stated, further describing the cafe as “her dream business.” 

The release noted: “The mission and purpose of this unique business model is to give the community and university students a safe place to sit, sip, study and connect,” while visiting with feline friends.

Serna plans to provide the community with a welcoming environment in which to “relax and destress,” the release stated, further describing the cafe as a safe place for kittens and cats while they await a forever home. 

The cafe has established a partnership with the Humane Society of Southern Wisconsin, which offers opportunities to adopt the animals in the cafe, in some cases, even on the same day, according to the release. 

While activities such as enjoying a treat and watching cats through a viewing window are available when the cafe is open, an appointment is required to enter the environment in which the cats live and enjoy a hands-on interaction. 

During Tuesday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, the cafe acknowledged a “soft opening,” and chamber ambassadors were offered a tour of the new facility, the release continued. 

The cafe is planning to hold a grand opening Saturday, Feb. 4. 

For more information about the cafe, visit its website: https://baristacatscafe.com/.