Constellation Cat Cafe brings cuddles and coffee to Old Town community

Any cat owner who has rented a home knows the fear of their pet scratching away the security deposit. It should come as no surprise, then, that Constellation Cat Cafe’s leadership was anxious to move out of their former East Lansing location, which they rented, and into a building they owned.

That process took nearly three years as the new location, Old Town’s former Su Casa boutique, underwent extensive renovations. A car crashed into the building in 2023, damaging the structure and necessitating further fundraising and repairs.

“The building was built in the 1800s, so it needed a lot of updates and TLC,” executive director Savannah Segueda said. “It did cost quite a bit to renovate, but now that we own it, we don’t have to pay rent and are able to make it specifically what we need.” 

The nonprofit reopened its doors Aug. 30. As with its previous location, customers can rent time in a room with 15 to 30 cats, all of which are available for adoption. But the new space has allowed staff to set up a room tailor-made for the cats, with tall windows, wooden perches along the walls and sisal scratching posts. 

More importantly, Segueda noted, the cat cafe has seen increased traffic since the move. 

“We’re getting more publicity at this location, and it’s more centralized,” she said. “We’re seeing more adoptions, which is fantastic, since that’s our ultimate goal and we’ve already been able to succeed at it.” 

While Constellation’s obvious focus is the cats, the cafe aspect is much more than an afterthought. “Purristas” use 517 Coffee Co. beans and syrups that are mostly homemade. Non-coffee offerings range from standards like matcha and hot chocolate to seasonal drinks like pumpkin chai and apple cider.

Moving to Old Town has also fostered collaboration with other businesses, especially Preuss Pets, which is right down the street.

“Preuss has specifically reached out to say, ‘Anything you need, we’ll work with you,’” Segueda said. “They provide a free bag of food, the type of food we provide the cats, upon adoption.”

She said Constellation is focused on supporting local businesses, “even if it’s not necessarily the cheapest option, because we believe they’re what helps the economy turn.” The nonprofit purchases its cat food from Preuss Pets and cleaning products from Clean Refillery, for instance.

Constellation will celebrate its grand reopening and sixth anniversary Saturday (Sept. 27), in conjunction with a broader Downtown Day celebration in Old Town. Segueda said local businesses have helped spread the word about the new location’s participation.

“It’s been wonderful posting that event and seeing a lot of Old Town businesses repost it in support of us,” she said. “It’s really great to be part of a community where we’re all supporting one another.”