If you like cuddling with a furry companion while enjoying a cup of coffee, the Excalipurr Cat Cafe will be hosting its first bake sale alongside A+ Animal Rescue — in hopes of raising funds to spay and neuter as many cats as possible this spring.

The cafe is located in downtown Regina. Guests can purchase specialty coffees and vegetarian fare while accompanied by a feline friend that is waiting to greet you. The cafe has two components — a cafe/restaurant in one area and a cat salon in the other. The cafe is like no other in Regina, as you can cuddle up to an adoptable pet that is in need of a place to call home.

Chelsey Legendre, owner of Excalipurr, said Saskatchewan is currently dealing with an overpopulation of cats. Until the issue is addressed with spaying and neutering, there will always be an overabundance of kittens looking for a safe place to call home.

“We want to bring awareness to the cause,” said Legendre. “Without starting the conversation, more kittens will be born adding to the overpopulation.”

Angie Werner-Paterson, executive director of A+ Animal Rescue, said citizens are becoming more aware of the troubling situation. The primary goal of the bake sale is to create a conversation around the concerns of overbreeding in the province.

A+ Rescue, which operates in a small town by Kenosee Lake in southeast Saskatchewan, said the discussion around spaying and neutering needs to begin before kitten season. Early fall and spring is when the rescue sees a spike in abandoned pregnant cats and kittens.

Currently A+ Rescue has 20 adults awaiting adoption, 16 kittens under five weeks old and five being bottle-fed as they came into the shelter without a mom, according to Paterson.

“I would like to see towns and cities helping spread the facts about the importance of spaying and neutering cats,” said Paterson. If everyone works together to educate pet owners on the necessity of this, we would see a huge difference in the amount of strays and unwanted kittens.

“We get calls from citizens in town or citizens that see strays out on the field. We encourage them to post pictures on social media and wait two weeks to ensure we haven’t picked up a cat or kitten that has a family missing them.”

Aside from preventing overpopulation, A+ Rescue wants to educate pet owners on how spaying a female cat will increase her chances of a longer life. Spaying kittens at a young age can prevent them from developing different infections and cancers that occur in the ovaries and uterus.

The bake sale is being held in memory of Turtle — a young cat with a belly full of kittens who left an overcrowded home in Saskatoon in hopes of a better life at the rescue. The young mom came into the rescue with teeth so bad she could not eat on her own. She unfortunately passed away due to health complications.

Volunteers will be working together for the cause with both A+ Animal Rescue and Excalipurr providing baked goods. The bake sale is being held on March 27, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Weather permitting, the bake sale will be set up in front of the cafe to assist with social distancing. Attendees must wear a mask.