Cat Lounge Rules

 

List of guidelines

For liability purposes: All guests must be 12 years old and up to enter, no exceptions.

As per the City of Ottawa by-law, every person who enters an Enclosed Public Space shall wear a mask in a manner that covers their mouth, nose, and chin.

In order to allow guests to visit the Cat Lounge while keeping everyone safe, here are the rules we have in place at Feline Café:

  1. Sanitize your Hands. We will have many hand sanitizing stations around the Cat Lounge, so ensure to do this frequently. 
  2. One at a time through the Double Doors. We have two sets of doors to enter the lounge. Please ensure that you enter one person at a time, and close the first door behind you properly before you open the second door. This is to avoid any cats from escaping the Cat Lounge as well as keeping the ventilation separate from the food preparation area.
  3. Social Distancing. Please keep 2 meters apart from other groups in the lounge. There will be a maximum of 4 customers at a time in the Cat Lounge. Settle into a designated area in the lounge and let the cats come to you.
  4. Wear a Mask at all times. Bring your own mask from home, or you can purchase some here. We have re-usable fabric masks or disposable masks available for purchase. Ensure that it is covering your nose and your mouth properly.
  5. Don't pick up the cats. Our priority is that the cats are happy and they feel safe having visitors. Restricting the cats from moving in any way, especially by lifting them up, can be very frightening for them. Of course, petting the cats and playing with toys is welcomed!
  6. Please arrive on time. Your reservation will start at a specific time, where you will have 45 minutes to visit the Cat Lounge. Afterwards, we will need 15 minutes in order to sanitize the area, including surfaces and cat toys, before the next group arrives.
  7. Reserve your spot in advance. We now have the calendar available on our website for you to book and pre-pay, up to 3 weeks in advance. Each reservation includes 3 treats that can be given to the cats and 1 beverage from our takeout menu that can be redeemed during the visit. The $10 deposit to book a reservation is non-refundable, so in the case of a cancellation it will be donated to Feline Café Foundation for our cat rescue efforts.

FAQs: Re-opening Safety Protocols

1) What about the cats and COVID-19?

Here at Feline Café Foundation, the health and safety of the cats under our guardianship is our primary concern. We have done our research on how COVID-19 can affect the well being of little felines and have gathered the following information on the topic:

  • The risk of human-to-animal transmission remains very small and studies have shown us that infection in cats is relatively uncommon.
  • There is still no evidence that cats can spread the virus that causes COVID-19 to humans.
  • Although the virus can be spread from one feline to another under certain situations, here is no evidence which shows that felines play a significant role in spreading the virus that causes COVID-19.
  • Of the very limited number of cats that did become infected worldwide, they only experienced mild symptoms, if any at all. None of them have died, and all have made a full recovery according to the most up to date information.
  • There is no evidence that the virus can be spread to people from the skin, fur, or hair of pets.
  • Even though this research indicates that the risk is very small to the felines, we still wish to put every safety measure in place to avoid any spread of infection. A few things we will be doing to ensure the safety of the felines are:
  • It will be mandatory for all staff, volunteers and visitors to be wearing a mask at all times.
  • When interacting with the felines all individuals are asked to sanitize or wash their hands frequently. There will also be sanitizing stations placed all over the cat lounge to encourage use.
  • We will also be asking the volunteers and staff to wash their hands after handling their food, waste, or supplies.
  • The cat lounge will also be sanitized frequently (surfaces, floors, walls, toys etc..) with pet safe sanitizing products.
  • If any feline experiences any symptoms (such as coughing, runny nose, sneezing or lethargy) they will be immediately isolated from the other felines and from any visitors.
  • Whereas this is a rapidly evolving situation, as new information becomes available we will adjust safety measures accordingly in order to continue ensuring a safe environment for everyone, furry friends always included.

2) How will we enforce social distancing?
In order to enforce social distancing, we will have designated standing/sitting stations throughout the lounge, and we ask that visitors allow the felines to come to them instead of the visitors wandering around. We will also be limiting the amount of people in the lounge to 4 individuals at a given time.

3) How will you maintain proper air circulation?
In order to ensure proper air flow we will have air purifiers set up around the lounge.

4) What sanitization protocols will be put in place?
Guests, staff and volunteers are required to sanitize their hands upon entry. We will also have a schedule of frequent sanitization of touched surfaces, such as door knobs, tables, chairs, toys, and visitor’s bathroom.

5) Will visitors need to wear a mask at all times?
All individuals who wish to interact with the kitties will need to wear a mask. At this time, should an individual not be able to wear a mask for health reasons, we unfortunately will not be able to allow them to visit with the felines until more information is known about human-animal contamination. Whereas cats are not able to protect themselves by wearing a mask, making exceptions to this rule may compromise the health and safety of the felines under our guardianship.

7) Will walk ins be allowed?
Visits in the cat lounge itself will be by reservation only. Although most of the visits will be booked online in advance, should you walk in and there is a slot available we can book you in while you’re at the café. That being said, we do recommend you always try to book in advance so that you are able to review the rules put into place before your reservation start time.

For more general FAQs: https://felinecafeottawa.com/pages/faqs