Bajah’s Cat Cafe in Tiverton Shut Down by the RISPCA, Future Unclear

Bajah’s Cat Café in Tiverton was forced to shut its doors unexpectedly on Friday afternoon after a visit from the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RISPCA), Animal Control, and the Department of Health.

Its owner, Amada Souza-Viera shared the news during a Facebook Live as she fought back tears explaining the heartbreaking mishap.

“I have been helping cats in the community and doing so without the proper licensing,” she explained.

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According to Souza-Viera, the cat room at Bajah’s is only licensed to accept cats from Forever Paws Animal Shelter in Fall River, however, she is not licensed to run a rescue independently.

“I am not allowed to run a rescue by myself and I have done so,” she said. “In doing that, I’m in trouble.”

Souza-Viera recognized her mistake and profusely apologized to her loyal customers.

“I just wanted to help cats, and it’s hard when people come to you with cats and they say, ‘Please take my cat’ or you find a cat and you want to help them,” she said.

READ MORE: Tiverton's Bajah's Cat Cafe Stands Up for Young Intern After Disheartening Incident

Souza-Viera shared the details in a separate live feed on Facebook.

"We had an upper respiratory infection going around the cat room, which is common," she said. She and her staff followed all recommendations from their veterinarian, but according to Souza-Viera, a former employee felt Bajah's was not handling the situation properly.

Souza-Viera said "they decided to say that cats were dead here and dying, which opened up a case for RISPCA," she said.

Souza-Viera vehemently denies those allegations, but when she was forced to admit that she was adopting cats independently, the RISPCA was required to take every cat from the café.

"I believe (the cats) are going to Potter League, but I'm not sure," said the Bajah's employee. "As of right now, we are unsure of what is going to happen to the cafe, but we are going to try and stay open."

The unexpected closure of Bajah's was an unfortunate moment for Souza-Viera. Her heart was in the right place as she helped cats find forever homes for the past three years. Until the proper licensing is sorted out, the future of Bajah's Cat Cafe remains unclear.

Official Statement from the RISPCA

Wayne Kezirian, the president of the RISPCA, provided an official statement regarding the incident at Bajah's and shared that over 20 cats were involved.

"Over 20 cats were found in that location, some of which exhibited symptoms of mild upper respiratory infection but all of which appeared to have been well cared for and all of which had been recently seen by a veterinarian," he said. "The owner of the cat café voluntarily surrendered all of the cats found other than two cats that were owned by her and two that are to be returned to Forever Paws Rescue in Fall River."

The cats are now at RISPCA's facility in Warwick where they will be tested for zoonotic diseases.

"The owner of the cat café has been informed by the officials from the Town of Tiverton and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management of the permits and approvals that will be required for her to re-open as a rescue facility that accepts, surrenders, and processes adoptions, and she has indicated that she intends to pursue those licenses and permits," said Kezirian. "While it is possible that regulatory and administrative fines may be imposed by other parties, the Rhode Island SPCA does not anticipate that animal cruelty charges will be forthcoming."