Barrie’s first cat café is opening — and it started with a 13-year-old’s idea

Pawsitive Cattitude Cafe hopes to bring coffee, community and a chance to adopt a new furry family member to Barrie

Cecilia Cabrera, Gabriella Brière and Josie Fabreo in front of Pawsitive Cattitude Cafe on Nov. 3

A daughter’s suggestion is turning into Barrie’s first cat café, with two local entrepreneurs preparing to open a business that hopes to bring people together while helping cats find loving homes

Pawsitive Cattitude Cafe , located at 2 Marsellus Dr., Unit 10, will combine the traditional café experience with the opportunity to spend time with cats. While Dec. 5 is the anticipated opening date, the owners said it remains a target rather than a confirmed date

The idea came from 13-year-old Gabriella Brière, who suggested opening a cat café to her mother, Cecilia Cabrera, after visiting similar establishments and learning about the challenges animals face

“I learned that a lot of young cats and dogs are being put down due to too many being born, and not enough people to adopt them,” Brière said. “I found that really sad, and I decided I want to help them.”