Finding the perfect match

On Saturday, the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals brought 13 adoptable cats to Philadelphia Brewing Company for their Meowentine’s Day cat adoption event. 

Potential adopters were taken to the brewery’s tasting room on a first-come, first-served basis to interact with the cats, have a drink and purchase decorated Valentine’s hearts to benefit the PSPCA as they waited. 

Prior to COVID-19, Philadelphia Brewing Company, located on Hagert Street near Martha in East Kensington, hosted “Caturdays,” which were monthly adoption events with animals from the PSPCA. Saturday’s Valentine’s themed event marked almost one year since Philadelphia Brewing Company held a “Caturday.” 

COVID-19 precautions were in place, as masks were required and only one family at a time was allowed in the tasting room where the cats were located. 

Nancy Barton, co-owner of Philadelphia Brewing Company, was elated to see the event happening after so long.

“This is the first one we’ve done in a year,” she said. “So it’s exciting, and I think it’s working out to have people come up one family at a time. I’m so happy to be doing it again.”

Since the pandemic hit, the PSPCA saw an increase in adoptions due to people staying at home and wanting some sort of companion, said Rachel Golub, adoptions and behavior manager at PSPCA.

“Adoptions have definitely increased and the interest is higher,” Golub said. “The big thing is, you know, people are home more, so they’re more interested in having a companion now, especially since you can’t socialize as much.”

There’s been a lot of interest in adopting pets during the pandemic, but COVID-19 safety restrictions make visiting shelters challenging, Golub said.

“What’s challenging is, of course, we can’t have people just walk into the building like we used to, so managing the flow of people and the demand has been kind of challenging,” Golub said. “But it’s been good because we’ve gotten a lot more animals adopted.”

Angelica Steele, 22, who lives in Fairmount, came to Philadelphia Brewing Company wanting to adopt a cat.

“I have a dog and I wanted to get a friend for him,” Steele said. “You know, especially during the pandemic, I’m working all day and right there, but I’m not giving him attention. And he loves cats. And I love cats.”

After checking out the cats in the tasting room at Philadelphia Brewing Company, Steele found Leia.

“I felt a connection to her in a day,” Steele said. “I guess it’s a little cheesy, but as soon as I started holding her, she just felt like she was perfect.”

Anette Castro, a junior neuroscience major, attended the event to find a cat to accompany her and her dog.

“I’m really looking for the right cat to match my dog, to match my energy,” Castro said. “I want it to be a long-lasting relationship with the cat. So I just want to make sure it’s right.”