At the heart of Brooklyn, there’s a special place where appearances don’t matter—it’s what’s inside that truly counts. The Brooklyn Cat Café isn’t just any café; it’s a haven for animals and animal lovers alike, where compassion and care take center stage. When I first heard about this place, I was genuinely moved. This story is one of the most touching and heartwarming ones I’ve encountered.
Established by Anne Levin in 2016, the Brooklyn Cat Café is the first of its kind in the area. Levin, along with a team of dedicated volunteers, envisioned a space where around 20 to 25 cats could be fostered at a time. As Levin shared with Barcroft Animals, “I started Brooklyn Cat Café as a way to have an adoption space that allowed us to have anywhere from 20-25 cats for fostering in this location.”
Visitors to the café are welcomed to enjoy a cup of coffee while spending time with the many affectionate cats. In just its first year, the café managed to find loving homes for 300 previously homeless cats, a testament to the success of Levin’s vision.
The café’s story took a particularly poignant turn when they took in a small black kitten named Ebony. Sadly, Ebony was diagnosed with Feline Leukemia Virus, which meant she had to be isolated from the other cats. As Levin explained, “She was so desperately lonely, and so we were looking for a small animal that could be a companion.”
Enter Ivory, a white rescue rat who quickly became Ebony’s cherished companion. “Ebony and Ivory quickly became quick friends. Ebony did end up having leukemia, so she had a very short life—only 5 months. But her life was immeasurably enriched by having a friend and companion to play with and snuggle up with,” Levin recounted.
After Ebony’s passing, Ivory was left alone, but his story was far from over. Already accustomed to feline company, the café decided to introduce Ivory to the kitten “terrarium” to see how he would interact with the other kittens. Just as with Ebony, the kittens were instantly drawn to Ivory, and he quickly became their playful companion. The mother cats also seemed relieved to have Ivory around, as he kept the kittens entertained, allowing them to take a well-deserved break.
Sadly, this seems to have been a disturbing pattern that must be addressed. To protect future animals and provide him with the support he needs, he must be banned from ever owning animals again and undergo mandatory counseling.
Ivory lived a long, joyful life surrounded by kittens, but eventually, he too passed away. The kittens missed their unusual friend, and the café felt emptier without him. In an effort to fill the void, Levin reached out to Help All Little Things (HALT), a rescue organization in New Jersey, and adopted two more rats, Remy and Emile, who had been socialized with cats.
Now, Remy and Emile are continuing Ivory’s legacy, caring for the kittens in their unique way. “Because the rats are not scared of the kittens, they don’t run away and the cats don’t hunt them,” Levin told the Huffington Post.
In her interview with Barcroft Animals, Levin also shared, “They have a great time hanging out with the kittens. It turns out that Emile especially has become very paternal. He likes to groom and kind of comfort the kittens.”
Meanwhile, “Remy just likes to play with them and share their food.”
Levin believes that stories like these offer hope, saying, “Everyone always likes to see some kind of cross-species relationship. I think it gives us hope that we can all get along.”
The Brooklyn Cat Café isn’t just a place to enjoy a coffee; it’s a place where love transcends species, where every animal, regardless of how they look, finds a friend.
