Brewnuts co-owner Shelley Pippin told a packed room at the Cleveland donut shop to "let their feline freak flag fly" during the inaugural Cleveland Cat Club meeting Wednesday night.
Pippin said the new club gives local cat lovers a chance to meet and share in their mutual obsession of their pets. She also hadn't found any other local cat fancy groups, and she wanted a chance to share about her own two rescue cats.
"One of them was a stray big old tomcat that my mom found in her backyard by the Metroparks. His name is Swirly, he is on my sweatshirt," she said, pointing to a custom-made sweater she was wearing. "And he is my soul animal. He is very much a mama's boy. He's a stage five clinger. He's very talkative. And if he can be in your lap, that's where he wants to be. And then my other kitty, his name is 'Gabagool.' We're big 'Sopranos' fans. He is Gooey for short."
While there were no cats physically present, Pippin did bring some artifacts to show and tell: bags of her cats' fallen-off whiskers, and one of Swirly's teeth that needed to be removed.
Attendees wore their own cat accoutrement, from cat ears to cat pajamas. Fairview Park residents Anthony Roberts and Sarah Swarthout also had t-shirts featuring their pet, a fluffy Siberian cat named Mila.
"She's a very fancy cat and she's a diva and she knows it. She is the stay-at-home cat of two working millennials, so she gets treated like a princess and basically runs our lives," Swarthout said.
West Park resident Shaye Sumner described her hairless sphynx cat as a "naked wonder."
"She's just fantastic. She was very sassy. She always has a lot to say. She beats the s*** out of the dog all the time," she said. "And she's very prompt about the timing of things. If I am not ready for bed at 8 p.m. She's staring at me and making it known that it's time to go cuddle."
Pippin said the Cleveland Cat Club will continue to meet once a month at Brewnuts. Fans will get a chance to present about their own kitties at each meeting.
"I just would say like adopt, don't shop, and support all of the stray babies that are out there," Pippin said, adding that residents should support local rescue organizations. "And you know, the cat distribution system is always working, so keep your eyes open, you can never have too many cats."
Local nonprofits that focus on helping cats and cat owners out include and , Pippin added.
