Page 59 of Autumn at the Cat Cafe

Pawsitive Vibes Rules of the House

Welcome to Pawsitive Vibes, where the coffee is hot and the cats are chill. Please note the following rules. Anyone violating them will be asked to leave. Thank you!

Each visitor is limited to sixty minutes of cat time during peak hours, which are usually Tuesday mornings, Thursday evenings, and Fridays and Saturdays.

Customers must sanitize hands before and after handling each cat.

We love kids and so do the kitties, but children under eight years old must be accompanied by an adult at all times and maintain their “whisper voices.”

Photography is allowed, but no flash, please.

Sleeping cats should never be disturbed, not even for photos.

No feeding the cats unless they are approved Pawsitive Vibes cat treats. These are available for purchase at the counter. This is to keep our feline friends safe.

No picking up cats without staff permission. Let them approach you. This is for your safety and theirs too!

Relax, enjoy yourself, and have fun. If you’re interested in adopting any of our residents, please see Via, Dora, or Birdie. We’ll be happy to assist you.

“Meow!”

At the familiar mew, Leo turned around to see Sir dashing toward him, Via right behind carrying a plastic bag with the Fantastic Fibers and Textiles logo on it. Sir put his paw on Leo’s foot and he instinctively picked up the cat, then remembered the rules he just read. “My hands aren’t sanitized,” he said to Via.

“I think your relationship has progressed beyond mandatory disinfection. But thank you for reading and obeying the rules. We appreciate that here at Pawsitive Vibes.”

Leo smiled. “What’s in the bag?”

“My sweater.” She pointed to her bucket list on the board. “I’m determined to finish it. Probably not before winter, but by December thirty-first for sure.”

He had no doubt she’d do it too, now that she set her mind to it.

“Did you need something, Leo?”

He blinked. Had he been staring at her? Probably. She was so lovely, and he was noticing that for the second time in only a few hours. Friends. Right. “I locked myself out again.”

“I’ll get the key.” She headed for the back office, taking her Fantastic Fibers bag with her.

Sir purred in Leo’s arms. Nice.

Via reappeared and motioned for him to meet her at the stairwell door. Carrying Sir—the cat would have followed him anyway if he’d put him down on the floor—he trailed Via upstairs. In less than five seconds she had the door open. “Thanks. I’m getting a duplicate key at the hardware store so I won’t have to bother you with this again.”

“No bother—Sir!”

The cat had leaped out of Leo’s grasp and was sauntering into Earl’s apartment. Leo laughed. “I see why he’s Naughty Cat of the Week.”

“Two weeks running.” Via shook her head. “I’ll go get him.”

He touched her arm. “I’ll keep him again.”

“You sure?”

He should probably remove his hand. But again, for some reason, he didn’t want to. Just a friendly touch, nothing more. She didn’t seem to mind either. “Positive. Again, I always mean what I say.” He paused. “Unless it’s something stupid. I reserve the right to verbally swing and miss occasionally.”

“Noted.” She grinned. “Nice sports analogy.”

“It will be the only one. Unlike Earl, I’m not a baseball fan.” He finally dropped his hand and stepped back. “I’ll let you get back to your sweater.”

“And I’ll see you tonight at Second Chapter, tape gun in hand.”