Cat lounge opens in Fairfax

Playtime at Pawsabilities.

Feeling stressed or lonely? Hanging out with some friendly cats could lift your spirits.

That’s the idea behind Patriot Pawsabilities, a cat lounge at University Mall, 10687 Braddock Road, Fairfax, that opened March 16. There are 20 cats and 15 kittens. You can play with them, pet them, or just relax, and chat in a friendly atmosphere.

Best buddies in the kitten room.

The cats are available for adoption from Fancy Cats, and the kittens are from the Homeless Animals Rescue Team. If you’re thinking about adding a cat to your family, Pawsabilities is a good place to get to know a cat’s personality before committing to taking one home.

It’s $15 for a one-hour visit. There’s a 10 percent discount for members of the military, veterans, seniors, and George Mason University students. Children must be age 7 or older; that’s to protect the cats, as young kids can be overly physical.

Unlike the cat cafés that are popular in Asia, Pawsabilities isn’t allowed to sell food, as the health laws are stricter here. Patrons may, however, bring in food purchased from shops at University Mall.

In explaining why she opened Patriot Pawsabilities, Monique “Mo” Ryan said, “I really wanted to do something for veterans.” The cat lounge offers a safe, quiet place for them to relax with cats and forget about their combat experiences and injuries – at least for a little while.

Ryan is an Army veteran who has lots of pain issues after spending 20 years packing parachutes. She also did many jumps herself and literally had to throw paratroopers out of planes when they balked at the last minute.

Ryan hopes wounded warriors will be able to connect with Able Whiskey, a three-legged cat from the Nowzad animal rescue organization in Afghanistan. He is named for one of Ryan’s former colleagues, Matt Kahler, who was killed in action there. Kahler was a member of Able Company and was a whiskey connoisseur.

Another star at Pawsabilities is Honey, a mostly white cat who’d been so stressed out at adoption events, it was hard to find a home for her, Ryan says. “After one day here, she’s become so sweet. She loves everybody.”