Virginia cat café shutters for rest of year after mischievous kitten floods business in ‘series of freak accidents’
A thriving cat café in Virginia that opened this summer is now closing its doors for the remainder of the year after a mischievous kitten triggered a flood in a costly string of “freak accidents.”
Located in Richmond, Va., The Purrfect Bean sustained heavy damage when Roller — a 5-month-old tuxedo kitten also known as Roll the Dice — accidentally caused a bathroom sink to overflow while tussling with a towel on Tuesday, per a post on their GoFundMe page. Roller is one of nine kittens living at the café; according to his bio, he’s known to ambush his feline roommates — and apparently towels too. The owners emphasized that none of their cats, including Roller, were harmed during the incident. Unfortunately, the overflowing water leaked from the upstairs cat lounge down into the main café area.
While some kittens remained high and dry atop perches and scratcher furniture in their cozy nook, others got a surprise splash — “splashing around in the water,” as described by the café staff.
Although the kittens seemed to find some unexpected fun, the water caused serious structural damage. According to updates on social media, the café realistically won’t reopen until next year. The ground floor’s entire flooring, ceilings, and walls need replacement, and the upstairs bathroom — part of the cat lounge — requires repair. Waterlogged equipment, including the espresso machine and coffee grinder, also must be replaced.
In the meantime, the cats are being cared for in foster homes, where they’ve been staying overnight before their usual café shifts. To raise funds for the costly repairs and to support staff who are now out of work during the holiday season, The Purrfect Bean is hosting a “pay-what-you-can” fundraiser at a local park, with support from TikTok creators “The Tiramasu Guy” and a local matcha cart called “Find Your Exit Plan.” A GoFundMe page has also been launched on behalf of employees who have lost their regular income.
On Facebook, the café team expressed heartfelt gratitude for their community’s support: “We are beyond grateful to be in a city that is built on community. The love and support truly means the world to us.” Since opening in August, the café has facilitated more than 100 successful cat adoptions. Their adoptable kittens — with playful names like Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Hole Punch, Hickory Dickory Dock, Barista, Xbox, and Anastasia Romanov — are featured in Polaroid photos on a bustling corkboard by the front door whenever they find forever homes.
About Post Author
