- Purr Haus in Emmaus is hosting a Kitten Luau on Sunday, Sept. 3
- The cat boutique has teamed up with Mermaid Ember, who will pose for photos in exchange for donations
- Meet adoptable cats and kittens from noon to 4 p.m.
EMMAUS, Pa. — Cats don't usually show up for water-themed events, but will make an exception for these friendly sea sirens.
Purr Haus, a feline-themed boutique in Emmaus, is hosting a "Kitten Luau" featuring live mermaids and tropical sounds from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 3.
Donate and mingle
Starting at noon, local entertainers Mermaid Ember and Mermaid Sabrina will pose for photos with attendees in exchange for a kitten or cat food donation (unopened cans and bags only).
While not at sea, Ember, an Allentown-based professional mermaid, co-owns Nine Lives Thrift Store in Coopersburg, where she shares with customers how to help cat rescue organizations in the area.
"I've loved cats my entire life and wanted to do something that made a difference. I feel incredibly fortunate that I'm able to do that right now and combine both of my passions," Ember said.
"It's not every day that people see a mermaid, so I love that it grabs their attention and then lead into the purpose of being there, which is the cats."
Joining Ember and her mermaid friend, Sabrina, are kittens Piper, Kiai, Peaches, Addie, Ohana, and Rose and Wheezie.
The fur babies, currently under the care of Crazy Cat Chicks of Kunkletown, are looking for new homes and can be adopted that day by filling out a pre-application form.
Who rescued who?
Purr Haus, at 27 Seventh St. across from the CVS Pharmacy, is celebrating a milestone during the luau —it's helped 110 cats find homes since opening its doors in 2021.
Store owner Laurie Mason Schroeder retired from a career in journalism to open the site and tell a different kind of story — that of rescuing felines.
She works with 13 pet rescue organizations such as theSanctuary at Haafsville and Aunt Helen's Cats in Need. Schroeder hosts adoption events at the shop every Saturday and Sunday.
The events are held in a back room where the felines roam free and strut their stuff in front of potential adopters.
"Instead of being in a cage, afraid, the cats come out of their carriers, relax and play with toys, so people get to see their true personalities," Mason Schroeder said.
"I have so many pictures on the wall of different cats who have crawled into a person's arm. The cat chose them. People will often come in and a cat may have ignored five people, and then the sixth person comes in and the cat jumps in their lap. It's nice to see that."
Mason Schroeder got involved with rescuing felines after a feral mother cat and three kittens showed up in the backyard of her Upper Milford home in 2011.
Before she and her husband could trap the family of four, the mother cat became pregnant again. Then, one of the kittens died, presumably from an owl attack.
"I have so many pictures on the wall of different cats who have crawled into a person's arm. The cat chose them. People will often come in and a cat may have ignored five people, and then the sixth person comes in and the cat jumps in their lap. It's nice to see that."Laurie Mason Schroeder, owner of Purr Haus in Emmaus
"Even though I'd owned cats my entire life, I was unaware of how big the homeless cat problem was. I was calling all these cat rescue organizations, hearing how their shelters were full and their bank accounts were empty," she said.
The couple began fostering cats out of her home but soon learned it would be better if the four-legged felines had their own lot.
"The shop has been great for the rescues, especially the smaller rescues that don't have their own facilities. They've found that it's a good space to find potential adopters to show," Mason Schroeder said.
"When you're fostering you basically do it out of your house and having people come to the house isn't always the best. The fact that they can bring a bunch of them here for a day and have dozens of people come in and visit them, it's been rewarding."
Happy tails
One of her current fosters includes a special needs rescue named Ruthie.
The sweet-natured kitty, and social media darling, is blind in both eyes and came to live at Purr Haus weighing only four pounds (average adult cats weigh about eight pounds).
"She was found wandering on the side of Route 145 in April. A Good Samaritan brought her into the Sanctuary at Haafsville, but she didn't do well there and was very scared," Mason Schoeder said.
As of late, Ruthie has gained two pounds, walks outside on a harness, and is starting to show her feisty side, much to the delight of her followers.
Ways to help
At the luau, guests can learn how to help rescue organizations that are still dealing with the fallout from COVID, during which cat sterilization was halted, Mason Schroeder said.
"The Lehigh Valley has a serious stray cat problem, and the volunteers that we partner with are on the front lines, rescuing kittens off the street and educating the community about spaying and neutering their pets," Mason Schroeder said.
"We rely a lot on volunteer trappers. There are no professional trappers. It's a network of volunteers who go out, trap cats, get them fixed, and bring them back. That's the only way to lower the kitten population. Kittens born outside suffer terribly. These people are doing it out of the goodness of their hearts to try to control the population."
There will also be light refreshments served and plenty of time to shop for cat-themed gifts, cat food, and other treats.
"I have some items that you can't get anywhere else. My signature product is the German catnip toys that are imported," Mason Schroeder said.
"Germany makes catnip that is stronger and lasts longer than American catnip. Even the pickiest of cats will go crazy for it and I always put a sample in people's bags because I know they'll come back."
For info on the event and Purr Haur, visit the Purr Haus Facebook page.
