Shop local and you can develop personal relationships with business owners. In some cases, that also means making furry friends. I traveled around town meeting felines and store owners alike to compile a guide to the cats of the city. Give these guys a visit for your fuzzy fix.
Gary at EarthWise Pet Harper’s Point

PHOTOGRAPH BY CLAIRE LEFTON
Parading around an organic pet supply shop in Harper’s Point, you’ll find the handsomest store manager you ever did see. He’s chubby, talkative, and has an excellent selection of fashionable ties. This is Gary, the store cat for EarthWise Pet. He may seem like an ordinary cat, but he’s quite the survivor.
Gary started his career at EarthWise Pet as an adoptable cat from Ohio Alleycat Resource. The rescue found him chained to a porch, severely malnourished. People didn’t want to adopt him because of his many health issues which include gastrointestinal problems and FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus). Eventually a veterinarian recommended that Gary be put down, but by then the store had fallen in love with him. Owners Dan and Lisa Woods nursed Gary back to health and officially adopted him as the store pet. “He really came around and started mingling,” manager Emily Eilers says. “He was so good with the kids. It was wonderful.”
That’s not the only hardship Gary conquered. In December 2022, the blizzard that swept through the city burst the sprinkler system in the office above EarthWise Pet, flooding the space where Gary slept. “He unfortunately was here,” says Eilers. “We got here in time but he was already learning to swim.” The Woods family took him home for the next few months while they rebuilt the store, but he had some problems readjusting on return, “I brought him here a few times and he had some serious PTSD,” Lisa Woods says. “He would just sit in the bathroom here and cry.”
With time and support, Gary made it through. He’s now a very social and talkative cat, welcoming customers who walk in with a friendly meow. He may even follow you around the store to assist with your shopping or lead an impromptu yoga session from the front counter. Keep an eye out for the occasional “Gary special” (a partially opened bag of food that he broke into). He’s awaiting your scritches!
EarthWise Pet Harper’s Point, 11328 Montgomery Rd., Symmes, (513) 469-7387, harperspoint.earthwisepet.com
Georgie at Wiedemann’s Brewery and Pub

PHOTOGRAPH BY CLAIRE LEFTON
The second I got out of my car at Wiedemann’s Brewery and Pub, Georgie walked up to greet me. You’d never know that she was once a skittish feral cat protecting a litter of kittens living in the brewery’s construction site in 2017. Co-owner Betsy Newberry told me that she wouldn’t come close to anyone until they started to regularly leave out food and water for her. Georgie was still a mostly independent outdoor cat until the December 2022 cold snap. “She developed some kind of limp and her one paw was swollen,” Newberry says. “We nursed her back to health in the office upstairs and decided that’s where she should be every night.”
Newberry also claims that Georgie opened her heart to all cats. “I was never a cat person,” she says. “I’ve always had dogs. But who can resist an independent woman?” And Georgie does what she wants. Although she lives at the brewery, she makes regular trips to the St. Bernard Eagles Club across the street. She also has a strong will—the brewery is her home and she refuses to be moved from it. Newberry tried to rehome Georgie with a former contractor when the brewery first opened, but that plan ended in disaster, “When he tried to get her in the carrier, she took a big bite out of his burly hands. She wasn’t going to have anything to do with it.”
She’s unlikely to bite any customers, though. Georgie likes to greet visitors by flopping over and asking for scratches. She trusts adults more than kids, so she usually avoids littles. Georgie hangs out with customers more in the warm seasons because she prefers the outdoors, but no need to worry about her knocking your beer over. She prefers to lay under the chairs and doesn’t bother hopping on tables or eating people’s food. This kitty also loves spreading out on the porch when there’s live music to feel the vibrations.
Georgie also carries on the legacy of a brewery that’s over 150 years old. The owners decided to honor their company’s history by naming the cat after George Wiedemann, the German immigrant who founded Wiedemann’s Fine Beer in Newport in 1870.
Wiedemann’s Brewery & Taproom, 4811 Vine St., St. Bernard, (513) 482-6970, wiedemannsfinebeer.com
Addy at Suder’s Art Store

PHOTOGRAPH BY CLAIRE LEFTON
This tortoiseshell cutie is Addy. She’s lived at Suder’s Art Store since January 2018, as much of an Over-the-Rhine staple as the 100-year-old art supply shop itself. She may be cute, but she can be a bit temperamental. “We call her Princess Addy, does that tell you anything?” jokes Sharon Suder.
Suder, the store’s owner, told me Addy’s the fourth cat the store has had in the last 30 years. The first and second came through the back door, the third was a rescue, and Addy was given to them by the family of a woman who passed away. “She adds a lot [to the store] for us, just because we get to have a pet here,” Suder says.
Addy has her own fans, too. Students from the Art Academy of Cincinnati regularly drop in to say hi while picking up supplies. Some stop in just to see her. You’ll need a sharp eye to find her—in a wood-paneled store filled to the brim with items, Addy can blend in to her surroundings. (Pro tip: her favorite spot is the easel section.)
Suder’s Art Store, 1309 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 241-0800, sudersartstore.com
Sophia at Enchanted Moments

PHOTOGRAPH BY CLAIRE LEFTON
At this quirky metaphysical boutique in Milford, a black and white cat curls up by the register. This is Sophia, maven of Enchanted Moments, named after the goddess of wisdom. Sophia was picked up off the street as a kitten with her sister Inanna (recently deceased) by store founders Monica Vance and Robin Stapp. “She really is the owner,” Vance says.
Vance is only partly joking. “We sort of became the neighborhood place for kids to visit,” Vance adds. “We’re the bribery for parents to get their kids to eat dinner so they can come see the cat. We used to joke about charging people for coming in just to say hi because we’d probably make more money on Sophia visits than sales.”
Sophia also mans the register. When I arrived, she was cuddling up to the computer to absorb its warmth. In the hotter and sunnier months, you’ll find her sleeping in the window. When she’s up and about, you may want to watch your surroundings. “She is not graceful. She’s probably broken more than any customer ever could,” jokes Vance.
Vance and Stapp, who died in 2021, were always cat lovers. The two of them spayed and neutered more than 16 feral cats combined ,and Stapp kept six of the kittens. They always wanted cats to be involved with their store. Vance says Sophia brings so much love and energy to Enchanted Moments. “She’s magic.”
Enchanted Moments, 128 Main St., Milford, (513) 831-5508, enchantedmomentsshop.com
Aki and Bert at Growing Trade Pet and Plant

PHOTOGRAPH BY CLAIRE LEFTON
These fluffy siblings are the talk of Northside. Taking naps amid the potted plants and “inspecting” the bags of pet food at Growing Trade, you’ll find Bert and Aki, the feline duo with opposite personalities. Aki is a shy, beautiful tortoiseshell who tends to stay on the higher shelves. Bert is a silly, playful black cat who likes to run around and interact with the customers. Both are equally beloved at the store.
Aki, named for the Japanese word for autumn, was adopted over a decade ago by the previous owner’s sister and has been at the store as long as it has existed. Bert (short for Bertram) was found in a dumpster. According to manager Jason Knaley-Smitherman, he still likes to eat trash. They both appear on social media frequently, “[Aki] is the cat we use for more pictures and business stuff,” store clerk John Morehose says. Another clerk, Avril Thurman, jokes, “Bert makes good funny faces. He sticks his teeth out.” You can find glamor shots of the pair on gift cards and calendars sold at Growing Trade.

PHOTOGRAPH BY CLAIRE LEFTON
Both cats hang out inside, but when they head outdoors, they’re skilled hunters. “They’re known to bring in lizards, birds, mice, bats,” Knaley-Smitherman says. “One morning I came in and I found two bat wings on the floor. I thought they were leaves at first.” They interact with other animals, too. Bert loves to play with the dogs that frequently visit the store.
Bert is also working on his health. On the bulletin board behind the counter is a sheet charting his weekly weight because he’s been put on a special diet. Bert’s weight loss journey began in June 2023 when he weighed a hefty 16 pounds. “He does not like that he’s on a diet plan,” Morehose says. “He’ll rip open bags of food.”
While Aki may be more shy, she’s still friendly. She usually sits on a high shelf, so it’s unlikely you’ll be able to pet her. Bert likes to lounge on the counter and get pets from anyone who comes near.
Growing Trade Pet and Plant, 3840 Spring Grove Ave., Northside, (513) 541-1321, growingtradestore.com
Junipurr at Indigenous Craft Gallery

PHOTOGRAPH BY CLAIRE LEFTON
Junipurr at Indigenous Craft Gallery has her own merchandise—a variety of items featuring her likeness created by local artists. According to owner Diane Christian-Budd, Junipurr was found 12 years ago on a construction site in the middle of winter, “So we set up shop for her overnight and thought, OK, well, she can’t do too much damage just in one night. And then she was there for another night. And another night.”
Junipurr loves to hang out on the counter and help conduct business. When I visited, she walked across the register and opened the cash drawer. She also likes to inspect the merchandise, sniffing people’s bags as they check out. Junipurr is so popular that she has some non-human friends in the area as well. Christian-Budd says, “There is a sheep dog in the neighborhood that comes in like every other day and he’s just fascinated by her. He just stares at her. And she looks at him like You’re OK as long as you’re not moving in.”
Christian-Budd also mentions some special human admirers. “There’s a few men that come in and carry her around. She’s really relaxed with those men in general. We all pick her up and carry her, but she doesn’t love it. But there’s a couple of guys where she just relaxes in their arms.”
The artists whose work is sold at the store seem to love Junipurr the most. Indigenous once had a show called “Junipurr in June” where every item was cat-related. The shop regularly sells items like nightlights, ornaments, and mugs with the feline’s face on them. Christian-Budd showed off the store’s new ceramic cups that say “Junipurr says Indigenous Craft Gallery is the cat’s meow.” Stop by the East Walnut Hills boutique to see her and buy her merch.
Indigenous Craft Gallery, 1609 Madison Rd., East Walnut Hills, (513) 321-3750, indigenouscraft.com
All Feline Denizens of Purrfect Day Cat Café

PHOROGRAPH COURTESY OF PURRFECT DAY CAT CAFE
All cat enthusiasts in town know that Purrfect Day Cat Café in Covington is the place to be. It has great coffee drinks, cocktails, pastries, and most importantly, a room full of cats for you to play with and adopt. I wouldn’t be able to name all the kitties at Purrfect Day even if I tried because thousands of cats have been adopted through the café.
Café Purr-prietor (his word) Chuck Patton left the advertising industry to search for a new purpose in life. One day he came across a cat café on vacation in South Carolina. “I ran into the concept and just said, This is it. This is what I want to do,” Patton says. “I was always an animal lover. I really felt as if this was my calling and I ran right into it.” Shortly after that vacation, he opened the first Purrfect Day location in Louisville.
The Louisville café was so successful in adopting cats, Kenton County approached him to open a location. The denizens of the café come from all over the area; Kenton County Animal Services, Cincinnati Animal CARE, the League for Animal Welfare, and P.A.W.S. of Dearborn County. Since opening in 2020, Purrfect Day has arranged more than 3,000 adoptions. The Covington location averages around 1,300 adoptions per year, which, according to Patton, makes it the cat café with the second most yearly adoptions in the country. The Louisville location leads, with about 1,700 adoptions a year.
Patton believes that the café is helping spread the love of cats to the city. The demand caused by Purrfect Day has positively impacted cat welfare in local shelters. “Many shelters have traditionally put animals down or released them out. Now they don’t have to do that at all,” Patton says. “They just call [our shelter contact] up and say, ‘I’m bringing you 10 or 20,’ and they say ‘Bring ’em on,’ because they know the café is going to immediately get them adopted.”
Besides being a beacon for cat adoption, Purrfect Day is a super cute and fun place to visit. For 50 minutes you get unrestricted access to around 20 cats and kittens, most of them eager to play with you. There are also special events in the cat room, like yoga classes, pajama parties, and trivia nights. Grab a meow-mosa from the bar and experience all the cuteness you can handle.
Purrfect Day Cat Café, 25 W. Eighth St., Covington, (859) 491-7877, purrfectdaycafecovington.com
Facebook Comments