We are thrilled to share that the Orlando Cat Cafe was recently featured in the Clermont Sun! The article highlights our commitment to providing a loving and enriching environment for our furry friends. It also showcases our ongoing efforts to support cat adoption and community engagement. We’re proud to be recognized for our work and grateful for the continued support from our community. Check out the full article here to learn more about how we’re making a difference!
Snippet From Clermont Sun
The Orlando Cat Café in Clermont donated three Pet Oxygen Mask kits to the Lake County Fire Rescue to commemorate National Pet Fire Safety Day July 15.
This is the seventh year that the café, which is based in Cagans Crossing, has donated the masks that can be used on small animals from mice to rabbits to cats and dogs and small horses.
The Lake County Fire and Rescue’s 30 firetrucks all have the $125 Pet Oxygen Mask kits and the goal is to provide them in all ambulances as well. Each kit has three sizes to fit most small, medium and large animals.
Around 40,000 pets die in residential fires each year, mostly from smoke inhalation, with 500,000 pets affected overall, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. Of those numbers, approximately 1,000 pets start fires each year.
“These reusable masks can treat smoke inhalation,” said Lieutenant Mark Ricci of Tower 112, Lake County Fire Rescue. “You can use them as a ‘blow by,’ which means putting oxygen in close proximity of the face.
“For pets who are not breathing well or who have passed out, you can put the mask onto the face to treat the animal until you can get veterinary help.”
Lieutenant Ricci said that if a pet has gone into cardiac arrest, you can connect a bag valve mask (BVM) to the apparatus. “These masks are real lifesavers,” he said. “We are grateful to the Orlando Cat Café for their continued support.”
Also at the presentation on July 15, Lake County Commissioner Doug Shields visited to thank Sandra and her husband Jeff for their generous donation.
“This is the fourth year I have been to this event and I’m very happy to be here,” Commissioner Shields said. “These donations are wonderful because they ensure that our pets get the same level of care and support that our humans get in the event of a fire.”
The Orlando Cat Café was the first cat café in Florida. Founder Sandra Cagan wanted to try something new, so she opened the business in 2016 and partnered with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Florida.
She wanted to provide a place to help the SPCA find homes for cats in their care. Visitors to the café can enjoy a coffee and a cake while playing with cats and to date, they have enjoyed 2663 successful adoptions.
Each cat is spayed and neutered and up to date on their vaccinations. Right now, Cagan has 23 cats in residence from cute kittens to older cats who are looking for their furever homes.
