For good.
Call it altruism, hedonism, narcissism or guilt; some of us are compelled to be good and do good in the world. Over the years, my wife and I have organised socially-driven projects with the aim of using our skills to help others. These are some of our more successful activities…
The Cat Cafe.
Joy Ahoy.
For Animal Welfare, and Human Happiness.
— Our Driver.
This is not our concept. Cat Cafe’s originated in Taiwan and were made famous in Japan. The idea is that people who can’t have a pet - for whatever reason - have a place where they can go and relax in the company of animals. Today, you can find animal cafes (usually Cat Cafes) in most major cities. That’s right, in Australia alone, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart and Canberra all have Cat Cafes.
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Animal Welfare
We teamed up with Perth Cat Hospital’s Dr Martine Van Boeijen to design the perfect environment for our rescue cats to call home. Using our architectural training, our workshop, and our continually growing understanding of feline behaviour, we continue to adapt and refresh the space to the ever changing needs of our furry family. We have personally adopted 13 resident cats who have the best life possible, and we have rehomed over 20 cats through our partners at Cat Haven WA. Part of our model is to educate visitors to the Cat Cafe about the benefits of rescuing or fostering, and how to properly care for your cat. Since we opened in 2016, we have taught hundreds of thousands of people about looking after animals, and combined with Purrth.com (below) we have donated over $45,000 to Cat Haven WA.
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Human Happiness
The goal was a place for people who can’t have pets. This niche turned out not to be a niche at all. It turns out there are countless demographics in need of that special kind of love only an animal can give. People who have a family member with allergies, people with compromised immunities, people with special needs, people who travel lots, people who live in small apartments or rent, people living with phobias and neuro-divergencies, and so many more… We are so, so privileged to provide our “Sanctuary to All.” Our lounge area is a calm and safe spaces for both cats and people. We regularly receive notes, comments and emails thanking us for “being there when I needed you most.” We’re also a place for moments of pure joy too. We have hosted thousands of birthdays from four year olds to 90 year olds, we have hosted many friend catch-ups, first dates, and even marriage proposals. Many of our regulars are now some of our closest friends. The Cat Cafe is not just a business, it’s a community of open minds, arms and spirits.
Made in Perth by Purrth
Our studio + workshop
I could make that…
This sentence - which pops into my head far too often - ultimately led to this place. Pictured is our studio and workshop. We usually turn the lights on, but apparently not when taking candid shots for the website. Thanks, Adam (photographer) for making our makers’ space so much more romantic - and clean - than it really is.
After two years at The Cat Cafe, we found that we were living two separate lives: one as Cat Cafe owners, and the other as designers and creatives. Couple this with an increasing guilt of wholesaling and selling wares made thousands of kilometres away in China by workers with a fraction of the rights we have, and we were desperate to start designing and making our own products. In comes Made in Perth by Purrth.
In our little Subiaco workshop, we have laser cutters, a CNC mill, sublimation printing and presses, CNC vinyl cutters and every tool we could need to make whatever we dream up. We now design, make and sell our own products right above the Cat Cafe - can’t get much more local than that.
We also do bespoke fabrication work for private clients, other artists and architects, and local business owners who like our style.
As Made in Perth by Purrth is owned by The Cat Cafe, part proceeds of everything we do goes to support animal welfare at Cat Haven WA.
Here are some of our favourite Made in Perth by Purrth creations
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Cat Glitter
Our very first creation, a series of characters drawn by us, where cats take the form of other objects and creatures. Pictured is Summer Cats with our Purrger, Cat-cus, Watermeowlon, and more. Avilable in earrings, badges and keyrings, Cat Glitter has now grown into it’s own monster, with over 100 designs to date, and collectors all around the country.
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Pawesome Brooches
This is our evolution from Cat Glitter. The multi-layered laser cut acrylic allows us to give three dimensional quality to our creations. They look and feel really special, and the laser engraved pine boxes really elevate the concept.
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DIY Cat Glitter
Like most small businesses during the long Covid lockdown, we had to pivot to stay above water. This was our simple idea. Make Cat Glitter sets for people to colour in themselves while stuck at home. A nice relaxing activity for kids and big kids alike.
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Meow Chow
Equal parts frustrated and inspired by the fact most bowls available on the market are designed for dogs, we set out to make a bowl specifically for cats. Our bowl is wide enough for sensitive whiskers, shallow enough for little faces, and made of ceramic, not stainless steel, to combat cat acne. We also laser engrave each cat’s name into the bowl to make it one of a kind.
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Abstract Scratcher
If you have cats, you will know that most scratchers on the market are either ugly, leave cardboard mess everywhere, or last a few weeks before they head to landfill. Inspired by Rothko, we designed a simple wall-mounted scratcher using carpet tiles.
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Stamps
Pretty self explanatory. We wanted to make a set of stamps for ourselves to stamp on shipping orders or kids in the cafe - to make people smile generally. Well, people liked them a lot, especially teachers, so we just kept on making more.
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Coasters
How many cat things can we put into a circle? Lots. And in many shiny colours too. We aso make a beautiful little reusable box for storing them when not in use.
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Pawsitive Drinking
We didn’t make the bottles, but we did laser engrave the consumption lines to encourage hydrating, and hand adhered the lettering to put a positive message on your desk and in your bag.
Escape
Charity Art Exhibition
Artists fighting Youth Homlesses & Suicide.
Scott Nodwell and I created an art exhibition and auction with support from Rotary of Crawley to raise funds for Youth Focus and Street Connect. “How do you Escape, and what do you see?” was the brief sent out in a call for artists across Perth. Over 140 artworks were submitted, and over $20,000 was raised over the two events. At the time, my fellow artist Scott Nodwell was volunteering on the Street Connect Bus, connecting daily with kids who where out of luck and on the street. Boys and girls as young as 12 years old were (and still are) sleeping rough every night. Most people place blame on the kids themselves, and ask “why don’t they just go home?” not thinking that actually, their home is the reason they’re homeless. Fuelling our fire to act was learning that the number one cause of death in Australians aged 15-24 is suicide. Young people are clearly suffering from supposed “self-inflicted” issues. Escape was our opportunity to connect with young people, start conversations, and raise some funds for those on the front line.
We didn’t solve anything, but we did bring attention to the issues, and hopefully continue to do so.
Special thanks go to the artists who contributed the work, the donors who bought it, Central Park Tower in Perth for hosting it, and the humans who spread the word.
Superman does good, you do well.
- Tracy Morgan.
“I’m good.” It’s just a counter salutation, at least where I live. It’s what you say after someone says “how you goin’?” when they mean “hello.” Equally, you don’t mean that you’re good, and you might not even mean that you’re well. The true “I am good” is something few of us can say with certainty. Even the best of us (which I don’t claim to be) are shrouded with insecurity concerning whether or not they really are good. “Am I good?” is one of the most authentically vulnerable questions we can ask ourselves or our partners. It is something I ask myself all the time. I hope the answer is yes, but I can’t ever know absolutely. So, to keep my mind at ease, I try to do things that might be perceived as objectively “good,” sometimes publicly, often privately. Whether or not judgement comes now from others, or later by others, I’ll just keep on doing good so that I can continue to reply full of hope with “I’m good.”