by Timothy Page

Kitty Korner Cafe in Barre is asking its community for help locating a cat that staff say was stolen from the business, in a case that has escalated from a property dispute into a welfare concern for both the missing animal and the person accused of taking it.

In a social media post, the café explained that it had tried to handle the matter privately but felt compelled to go public after efforts to resolve it quietly failed.

According to the café, the incident occurred shortly before closing time, when an individual allegedly created multiple distractions for staff before taking a cat from the facility. Employees pursued the person but were unable to catch up and recover the animal. The café says it has security footage documenting the theft, which it describes as premeditated, along with what it calls a confession from the person involved.

Kitty Korner Café, located at 214 North Main Street in Barre, operates as the state’s first cat café, combining a conventional café serving coffee, locally sourced baked goods, paninis and other light fare with an adjoining lounge housing adoptable cats. Guests may purchase food and beverages in the café area and, for a modest fee, book short sessions to interact with the cats, whose care is supported by those proceeds; the establishment’s stated aim is to provide a setting for public engagement with felines while facilitating adoptions.

Staff say the individual had previously been denied an adoption application due to several factors, including homelessness, financial instability, and ongoing mental health struggles cited by the applicant’s references. After the alleged theft, the café says it made contact with the person, who admitted to taking the cat and sent photos of the animal. However, subsequent attempts to negotiate the cat’s return reportedly broke down, with the individual instead threatening self-harm and making threats toward staff.

The situation has since taken a more serious turn: the café says neither its staff, the individual’s family, nor police have been able to reach the person since the threats were made. Compounding the concern, the café notes the cat was on important medication at the time it was taken and has not received it since.

“This is now not just about the cat, but also the welfare of the individual,” the café wrote, adding that it is taking the suicide threat seriously.

Law enforcement is involved in this matter, but as of yet VDC is unaware of charges pressed, so the individual’s name is currently being withheld in this article. The café is asking anyone with information about the person’s whereabouts to come forward immediately and contact either them or Barre City Police.

This account is based on a public statement from Kitty Korner Cafe. For more information, see: Today, we are reaching out to our… – Kitty Korner Cafe | Facebook