N.S. animal rescue Hope for Wildlife opens 'café catio' featuring Jessie the bobcat

Hope for Wildlife animal rescue in Seaforth, N.S., made a New Year’s Day announcement on behalf of one of its residents.

On Wednesday the wildlife rehabilitation centre opened a year-round “Café Catio” featuring Jessie the Bobcat – a new permanent resident and “education team member” at the rescue facility.

Hope for Wildlife is inviting guests to meet Jessie and learn about one of the species of big cats in the region while enjoying the café space.

"I've always wanted a place for the public to come and enjoy their time here at Hope for Wildlife," said Hope Swinimer, founder of Hope for Wildlife.

Swinimer said they will have snacks, coffee to warm up in the winter and ice cream to cool off in the summer months, but Jessie is the real draw that makes the café unique. Swinimer said she hopes it encourages cat owners to build their pets an outdoor space.

“We knew it had to include an amazing view of an animal and what better view is there than a bobcat?” reads a Facebook post.

The catio that houses Jessie is a “giant two-level catio enclosure around the café" with a viewing window so you can watch Jessie up close outside his cage or from the comfort of the café.

The education centre at Hope for Wildlife is open from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays year-round. From May 1 to Dec. 18, it is also open during the same hours on Wednesdays.

Visitors will have a chance to visit all the education animals, including Jessie, said the post.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Paul DeWitt.

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