Kalyssa: My experience working at Catoro | Meet the team

Meet Kalyssa

Kalyssa is a cat host and barista who has been working at Catoro for about 2 years.

Why is working with rescue cats important to you?

What is your favourite memory of working at Catoro?

It’s hard to pick a favourite but I’d say any memory of spending time with my coworkers after hours. We do our best to have group outings and they are always a lot of fun.

One time when we were walking to get ice-cream and came across a neighborhood cat, and we all went to greet it. One of us took a picture, it was labeled 'crazy cat ladies in the wild.'

What is the most fun part of your job? 

I really enjoy making drinks and playing with the cats at the end of the day.

What is the most stressful thing about your job?

It’s hard to feel too stressed out while surrounded by cats.

Honestly I’m most stressed out when we have big rushes of customers and I have lots of drinks to make, while also helping those shopping for pet products. But we do our best and most people are super patient and understanding.

How is working at Catoro different than you expected?

Like I said earlier we definitely feel more like friends and that’s a really nice atmosphere to have that I definitely didn’t expect.

But it’s also crazy how much Catoro has changed since I started working here. The store and our products have grown so much, and I’m so proud to work here!

Tell us about a cat whose story affected you.

We’ve had so many cats come through whose stories made me cry, but one cat I really loved was Salvador.

He is deaf and blind and the sweetest boy in the world. His story is tragic and abusive but that never stopped him from being super affectionate.

He stayed at Catoro way longer than I expected him to, but happily he was adopted into a loving home.

What is the hardest part about working at Catoro?

I don’t have the most stable mental health so the very social aspect of our job is hard on me, but my amazing coworkers always have my back. The team helps me out as much as possible, like if I need to take a step back and work behind the scenes for a little bit.

What is one thing you wish more people knew about rescue cats?

Trauma can be hard to move past and not every cat in the cafe is going to want to play - and that’s okay. If you are willing, sometimes it helps to just  sit with them, and show the that not all humans are bad and most of us just want to give them love.

What is your favourite drink on our menu? 

I love all the green tea options, and also invented my own Coconut Taro Cloud that I drink regularly 🙂

Do you have a pet at home?

I actually adopted my kitty Kyoko from Catoro. She’s very cuddly but can also be quite crazy and energetic. She loves to wake my up by jumping on my stomach or pawing at my face.

She’s quite picky food wise so I order packs of Weruva Lamb-burgini through our store. She loves Tiki Cat wet sticks and most of the toys I’ve got from Catoro as well.

She’s my whole world and I don’t know what I’d do without her.

Is there anything you would like to add?

If you haven’t been to Catoro it’s definitely worth it to check it out, even if you just come in and look through the windows we love to talk about these wonderful cats in the building.

Thanks for reading! Why not check out another staff interview with Allee?