There’s nothing better than drinking coffee while petting countless kitties. Recently, Planet Perk Coffee Houses adopted more than 14 cats in just over a month and are continuing to help cats find their forever homes. While doing so, they are also creating a space where people can come to work and hangout with their favorite felines in a peaceful and productive environment. Before Planet Perk’s adoption of cats, the nearest cat cafe was in Appleton; now, it is located right downtown in the City Center.

When a customer walks through the doors, the first thing they will see is a normal cafe with dim lighting, peaceful music, and a welcoming environment. This staple of the caffeinated community has offered just such a cafe environment for years, but it wasn’t until late July of this year that its Planet Puuurk Club was added. The new, 3,000 sq ft addition to Planet Perk at City Center is a result of collaboration between Planet Perk Coffee Houses and the Oshkosh Area Humane Society.

“It is a symbiotic relationship; we are trying to save Planet Perk, while at the same time finding a forever home for cats,” owner and CEO Kenneth A. Osmond said.

Adoptions out of the Planet Purrrk Club cost no more than an adoption directly from the Humane Society, ensuring that there are no extra barriers and providing the opportunity to see the cats in a less stressful environment. Cat residents of Planet Perk are able to roam around the entirety of the 3,000sq ft room they are in and interact and socialize with each other. Visitors come to play and hang around with them, which allows the cat's true personality to shine.

“The cats tend to flourish here as opposed to being in a shelter environment,” Osmond said. “They all tend to gain weight, socialize more, and just overall become less stressed and happier while they are here.”

People can visit the cat lounge for an hour or more, purchase a daily membership, rent out one of the many meeting rooms, or attend one of the evening events.

“The Planet Puuurk Club is first and foremost a cat lounge, but it’s also a co-work space because we have five private offices and two meeting rooms for club members, and it is a study hall,” Osmand said.

All visitors must be at least 10 years old and must be accompanied by an adult if under 14 years old. An adult pass to visit the cat lounge is $6 and a child or student pass is $3. However, from 2:30 pm to 6:30 pm, Monday through Saturday, the Cat Lounge turns into a study hall. Any student may enter the Planet Purrrrk Club by just making a purchase.

“We went on their website and we found out that they had study hall options, and we were like ‘oh we can do this after school,’ so we just made plans,” senior Asha Abraham said.

The study hall hours in the Cat Lounge provide a controlled environment where students can set a specific time and come to get schoolwork done with the added motivation of being surrounded by cats.

“I've found that it is very relaxing to have the cats in here and it's a great study environment; it’s not too loud, and there's never too many people in here, so that's also something good if you’re just an introverted cat person who doesn’t want to deal with society and too much noise,” sophomore Maria Wilson said.

Planet Perk pays close attention to the environment they are creating by playing calming music to help with focus, creating a variety of office and meeting spaces designed for all types of people, and adding welcoming signs to their front windows. They let it be known that Planet Perk is a place for everyone, no matter their religion, characteristics, or beliefs.

“I think that the most important thing I can do, and our staff can do, is make this the most inclusive environment possible,” Osmand said. “I’m proud of the fact that LGBTQIA+ groups meet here, I’m proud that people do bible study here, and I’m proud that everybody feels welcome, as it should be.”

Osmond’s philosophy and attention to detail with his business is strong. He cares deeply about the environment and his impact on it. Inside of Planet Perk Cafe, there are a variety of recycling bins where customers can sort out their trash after visiting. On top of that, all of the floors in the Cat Lounge are made out of recycled plastic bottles, all of the cat wall fixtures were made by disabled veterans, and the plastic syrup bottles and other useful materials are donated to art teachers to be used as things such as paint mixers. 50% of everything bought and sold at the cafe comes within 50 miles, and the other 50% has to come within 500 miles, according to Osmond.

“If young people are really serious about their core values, and I think they are, they’ve gotta put their money where their mouth is,” Osmond said. “If they want a business like ours, who helps the homeless, has zero use of plastic in its kitchen, and contributes 15% of its gross income to local charities, support us. If being socially responsible matters to America’s youth, they’ve got to start supporting businesses that live that, and stop supporting corporate America.”

Finally and most importantly, Osmond wants the students of today to invest in the future of the planet.

“Today's youth has a chance to build the world they want, but every dollar you spend is a vote for the future you want, it is an investment, what are you going to invest in?” he said.

By Adrianna Meszaros co written by Jacob Schaefer

Published October 2 2023

Oshkosh West Index Volume 120 Issue I

Local cafe offers purrfect environment for caffeine aficionados