NEWMARKET, NH- Kaitlyn Ferretti, a veterinary technician and Pittsfield, New Hampshire native, was working down in Georgia when she first visited a cat cafe.

“It was my birthday and my husband and my mom brought me to a new one (cat cafe) that had opened up the town over from us in Atlanta,” said Ferretti. “And I was like ‘Wow, I could do this,’ and I started looking around.”

Now only a couple of years later, Ferretti has returned home to The Granite State to open her very own cat cafe bringing a unique experience to all cat lovers around the Seacoast.

The Tipsy Tabby will be the very first cat cafe in all of New Hampshire. Located in the heart of downtown Newmarket, the cafe is scheduled to host their grand opening on Friday, February 24. 

Over the last two years, Ferretti has been preparing for the cafe’s opening and transforming the location on 90 Main Street into her vision for The Tipsy Tabby.

“I’ve enjoyed feeling the accomplishments,” said Ferretti. “Every time there is a milestone it’s been really fun to look back and be like, ‘I did this.’”

One of the renovations made to the space was a separation of the cafe into two different sections. In code compliance with the state of New Hampshire and for sanitary purposes, The Tipsy Tabby will have two separate entrances with one leading to the room where guests will order food and drinks and the other taking guests to the cat lounge where they can spend time with the cats.

Ferretti explained how guests will schedule an hourly appointment for the cat lounge prior to their visit, which can be done online or in-person. The Tipsy Tabby is also planning on offering bulk appointment times in the cat lounge for those looking to host smaller gatherings.

“We are totally excited to be able to host college study groups or birthday parties,” said Ferretti. “It’s a small space, probably only a max of 10 people at a time, but for small gatherings we are happy to host.”

To bring the cats to the cafe, The Tipsy Tabby will be partnering with Cat Tales Rescue of Seabrook, New Hampshire. With this partnership, Ferretti explained how all of the cats that guests meet at The Tipsy Tabby will be available for adoption and awaiting their forever homes.

“I have several goals for this business, but probably the highest priority would be to find a match between a cat and the perfect adopter,” said Ferretti. “I see cats that get returned at rescues and if you make the right match the first time, that’s the best fairytale ending for a cat.”

Along with connecting cats and their possible new homes, Ferretti also wants The Tipsy Tabby to be somewhere for those who can’t have cats at home to be able to come and spend time with a few furry friends.

“I think being able to socialize with cats, I guess I would call it a therapeutic experience,” said Ferretti. “I’d like it if everyone who wants to socialize with a cat can.” 

Whether guests spend their visit in the cat lounge or in the cafe space, The Tipsy Tabby will be offering an assortment of teas, hot chocolate variations and baked good items for guests to choose from. All of the menu items will be sourced locally and from women-run businesses around New England such as 27Teas, Sweetened Memories Bakery and A&E Coffee & Tea.

In true spirit of the name, The Tipsy Tabby will also be incorporating a unique twist by offering spiked menu options, allowing guests the opportunity to include a shot of one of the selected liqueurs into their hot chocolate.

 “It is very important for me to support the local businesses in this area,” said Ferretti. “I think New Hampshire is such a vibrant place and the environmental ethic of not shipping stuff from really far away is really important to me. I have a background and love for animals, which in turn leads to a love for the environment, so we are trying to be as environmentally conscious as possible to provide the best possible experience for our customers along with our cats.”

 Ferretti shared that she has plans for once the cafe is officially open to make some environmental contributions to the town of New Market. In turn she also shared hopes for the sort of impact The Tipsy Tabby will leave on the community.

 “I want everyone in the community to have a fun place to go, a safe place to go and to feel that wonderful connection and feeling when you spend time with an animal,” said Ferretti. “I just think it’s important to all remember that we share this planet with animals and we’ve got to take care of them. If people get that connection, I think they’ll go home and remember and take that with them in order to make this world a better place.”