Actress Richa Panai has been a cat parent for over three years and wants to take her love for felines to the next level — she wants to set up a cat studio in Mumbai — a one-stop destination for all the needs of the furry creatures.
Being ‘mom’ to five cats, Richa says that she knows all about cats, their likes and dislikes. However, she found that feline facility centres are scarce, unlike dog grooming centres, which are abundant.
“When I do find a centre, I realise it does not cater to the ‘cat parents.’ I have to either wait in my car till my cats are groomed,” she explains.
“My cat facility will have all kinds of facilities for cats — including veterinary care,” the actress shares, adding that she would set up a café in the premises too. “You can call it a cat café, where cat parents can relax while their wards are having a good walk around,” she says. There will also be a pet shop.
“Rescuing stray cats is one of the important objectives of my endeavour,” says the actress. And so, the proposed facility will have a station for feeding strays.
The idea took shape during the pandemic lockdowns.
“Since cats can’t socialise and walk like dogs, I wanted to develop a place where people can bring their cats and also socialise,” Richa says. Her new cat studio will also let the pet parents organise birthday parties for their four-legged wards.
“This is my target for the next one year; I know it will be challenging but I am doing it with a lot of love,” says Richa.
