A local cat café and rescue owner has started a GoFundMe to pursue her dream of launching a full rescue behind the café on 137 Main Road

Bajah’s Rescue currently has 19 cats, 15 of which are up for adoption. They are all currently staying at Bajah’s Cat Café, both of which are owned by Amanda Souza-Viera.

Souza-Viera, who opened the café in 2021, admitted that at first, she didn't see herself as a rescue owner; that changed in 2022, when two cats, Yin and Yang, showed up at her door.

“We took care of them, we got them adopted and we were like, ‘This is fun.’ So we started doing that for a couple of years.”

The rescue and café hit a snag in December 2024, when 10 cats were surrendered to the Rhode Island Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals following a licensing issue. However, they very quickly sorted that out and began taking in cats again.

“We now have an addition in our license that allows us to foster and adopt out cats,” Souza-Viera explained, adding that the licensing for the full rescue facility is in process as well.

“We’re doing foster-based right now. We want to have a permanent place here on the property that we can take cats in, get them fixed, then bring them” to the café.

The café currently works with Forever Paws Animal Shelter in Fall River, which spays and neuters cats. But Souza-Viera said building a full cat rescue behind the café would let her take in strays and address the cats' medical needs in-house.

In addition, the larger facility would allow the rescue to bring in more cats than the 19 they currently have. While they have begun getting a building permit for the facility and some other basic work, there is still a lot of work to be done, and a lot of money to raise.

“We knew we needed to raise about $50,000,” and Souza-Viera said an online fundraiser seemed like a good solution. The GoFundMe drive has raised nearly $25,000 so far, and if it is successful and reaches the $50,000 payout threshold, funds will be used for a variety of purposes, including the construction of rescue areas in the facility, electrical, plumbing and other necessary building work, and essential equipment for the cats, she said.