DreamCATchers
LOCATION: Ghent, Belgium
WEBSITE: wearedreamcatchers.be/nl
TRIBE CAT MANAGER & FOUNDER: Evelyne Vandenberghe
YEAR OPENED: 2017
CAT CAPACITY: 8 to 10
SUMMARY
DreamCATchers is located in central Ghent along the Leie river near the Museum of Industry Ghent and Baudelopark. The exterior of DreamCATchers was designed by architect Claude Van Acker and features a vertical wood design. Inside, the modern eclectic space is divided into a café and cat lounge upstairs, and downstairs features a shop with cat-centered products including food, cat toys, cat beds, educational materials, and merchandise. DreamCATchers is all about cats – cat socialization, cat behavior, and cat education and it is clear that the purpose of DreamCATchers is to meet the holistic needs of cats.
I was excited to interview Evelyne because DreamCATchers features cats that have been in shelters for a long time. Unlike most cat cafes, not all of the cats are up for adoption, some cats need extended periods of socialization before they are ready to go to their forever homes. On their website, you can see the cats that are “ready for adoption” alongside the cats that are “not ready for adoption.” This focus on cat socialization and well-being centers the needs of the cats and is quite different from some cat cafes that focus on having cuddle-ready cats ready for visitors.
DreamCATchers’ focus on cat socialization is visible in the design of the cat lounge which includes a large, open cat-only room that is off-limits to visitors. The entire cat lounge features plenty of cat caves, cat beds, and high shelving where cats can interact according to their own comfort levels. Based on Evelyne’s suggestions, I added two additional questions to my interview guide for cat café owners, “how do you gain the trust of cats that don’t know you?” and “how do you socialize cats?” For Evelyne, gaining the trust of cats means having a lot of hiding spaces, higher shelving where they can lounge above humans and other cats, positive associations with food and treats, playtime with wand toys for their hunting instinct, along with liquid valerian herbs, and social time with humans. Understanding cat behavior is important for anyone who works or lives with cats. In the United States, Jackson Galaxy is our well-known cat behavior expert; in the Netherlands Anneleen Bru is the go-to cat behavior expert who offers matter-of-fact advice.
RESEARCH FINDINGS
In my interview with Evelyne, two of the research findings stood out:
Research finding: Cat café owners start with a range of cat rescue and adoption experiences.
Prior to opening DreamCATchers, Evelyne had experience in a shelter, with TNR, and had fed community cats for years. A close friend who lived in New York saw one of the first adoption-centered cat cafés and suggested that the two of them start one in Ghent. Evelyn describes the motivation for starting a cat café, “we didn’t start the non-profit to have like a cat café to drink coffee. We started this because we know there are a lot of problems that need to be solved and need to be addressed more.” For Evelyn, opening the cat café was an extension of the rescue work she had been already doing for years.
Research finding: Cat café owners consider a number of ethical and practical issues when choosing or accepting shelter or community cats into their café.
DreamCATchers focuses on adoption, which is less common outside of the United States, and works with cats that have been in a shelter long-term and need longer periods of socialization before they are ready for adoption. In our interview, Evelyne discussed the extensive socialization process used to gain the cat’s trust and to identify a good match when the cats are ready for adoption.
