Emily Cancelmo didn’t consider herself a cat person before 2021, when she met Squid at the New Jersey vet clinic where she worked.
The 10-year-old cat was having no luck finding her forever home. Cancelmo decided to give her a chance.
When Andrew Altman, Cancelmo’s boyfriend, found out Squid would be joining their household, he was a bit hesitant.
Both Altman and Cancelmo expected Squid to be standoffish and take some time to warm up to her new living situation, but that didn’t end up being the case. Her first night in her new home, Squid cuddled up with them in bed.
“I was totally expecting her to not want a single thing to do with us,” Cancelmo said. “I was just like, ‘Why were you sitting in a crate for six months? You deserve a second chance at life.’”
Since adopting Squid, the couple has found a passion for rescue. They’ve fostered and rescued 38 cats, and now they’re ready to take the next step: opening Lincoln’s first cat cafe next year.
With Cancelmo holding an animal science degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Altman holding a business degree from Rowan University in New Jersey, the pair joked around with the idea of quitting their jobs and dedicating their time to rescuing cats.
“And then we were like, ‘Why don’t we just actually do that?’” Cancelmo said.
Once they decided to turn the dream into reality, the couple came up with their business name: Stray By The Bay, an ode to their East Coast origins.
“Us both being from the East Coast, we do miss having the beach and the coast so close to us,” Altman said. “So we wanted the cafe to have a beachy theme to it — which is weird in a triple landlocked state — but that’s what we planned on.”
While initially moving to Lincoln just for college, Cancelmo decided to stay after graduation, and Altman followed her. The couple has lived in Lincoln since 2022, finding it to be a pleasant balance between city life and suburbia.
Altman, 28, and Cancelmo, 27, still rescue and foster cats on their own, but they hope to have an even bigger impact with a cat cafe — a space where caffeine lovers, cat lovers and cats can come together.
With a dedicated cafe section and an open space for cats to roam and interact with people, Cancelmo said the idea is to help showcase the felines’ personalities.
Cats can take up to three months to feel comfortable in a new home, Cancelmo said, and she hopes a cat cafe can expedite this process.
“I’m kind of hoping we’ll free up space, we’ll keep them from returning to the shelter, and overall, just be a space for the community,” Cancelmo said.
Stray By The Bay is in a fundraising phase as Altman and Cancelmo search for brick-and-mortar locations. With a GoFundMe and merchandise sales, the couple said they’re itching to get the cafe started.
“We don’t want to put it on hold. The more time we wait, the less lives we can save,” Cancelmo said.
They hope to find a location by the end of the year. Anticipating the need for renovations, Cancelmo said the majority of the money raised will go toward finding and creating the right space.
They plan to use a small business loan to supplement the fundraising efforts. The couple has already identified their suppliers — for both coffee and cats.
Beatrice Humane Society and Capital Humane Society will supply the cats, the Coffee Roaster will provide locally air-roasted beans and the Green Leaf Tea Company will provide tea leaves.
Altman and Cancelmo said they want their future cafe to uplift other small businesses.
“We’ll have a section of the cafe for other local businesses that sell other handmade goods and whatnot, just to promote the community, because they’ve helped us out a lot,” Altman said. “We’d love to give back and give them a chance to show themselves a little more.”
Anyone who donates to Stray By The Bay’s GoFundMe will receive a matched discount on visits to Superior Veterinary Care, 4640 Bair Ave. Suite 100. People who adopt a cat from Stray By The Bay when it opens also will receive a free first vet visit.
Even if cafe guests visit with no intention of adopting a cat, Cancelmo said all interaction with the cats is valuable.
When she began attending UNL in 2018, Cancelmo said she would have likely struggled more with being far from home if it wasn’t for her emotional support dog. She hopes the cafe will be a source of emotional support for others.
“It kind of gives you a space to go and de-stress and still have a pet away from home,” Cancelmo said.
To keep up with Stray By The Bay’s progress toward opening a cafe, visit www.straybythebay.com/.
Reach the writer at 402-473-7326 or lziskey@journalstar.com.
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