If They Ever Find This: A Design Gift for Kuching’s Stray Cat Café
If They Ever Find This: A Design Gift for Kuching’s Stray Cat Café
A few days ago, while walking along Carpenter Street in Kuching, I stumbled upon a little café I never expected to find—but I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. Tucked between old shophouses and the scent of street food, this café stood out not because of how it looked, but because of what it stood for.
It’s run entirely by a group of young backpackers from the UK. No big names. No major sponsors. Just a group of kind-hearted souls who decided to pour their time, energy, and limited resources into creating something that gives back—something for the stray cats of Kuching. Their mission is simple and pure: to raise money and awareness for the hundreds of cats that roam our streets, often overlooked and forgotten.
They serve great food, they make good coffee, and they welcome everyone who walks through their doors. But the space itself—it’s clear they did everything on their own. The renovation is raw, unpolished, and clearly stretched thin by budget limitations. But honestly? That’s part of what made it so moving. It’s not perfect, but it’s real. It has heart.
Still, as an interior designer, I couldn’t help but feel that the space deserved more. Not more in the way of luxury, but more in the way of love through design. The kind of thoughtful attention that reflects the beauty of their mission. The warmth they’re already giving to the community and to the cats—it deserves to be echoed in the walls, the furniture, the layout, the light.
So I went home and did what I do best—I designed.
Not because they asked. Not because they even know who I am. But because something about that café pulled at me. I imagined what their space could be with the right support: still rustic, still backpacker-friendly, but cleaner, cozier, more intentional. A space where people not only come for a good meal, but also feel something deeper—a connection to the cause, to the cats, and to the people behind it all.
This concept is my quiet offering to them. A design gift, made with hope that one day they might come across it. And if they do, I hope they’ll know: I saw them. I saw the love, the sacrifice, the effort. And this? This is for them.
Maybe someday, with the right sponsor or a bit of good fortune, this design might help bring their café to life in the way it deserves. Until then, this page holds the dream.
If They Ever Find This: A Design Gift for Kuching’s Stray Cat Café
If They Ever Find This: A Design Gift for Kuching’s Stray Cat Café
A few days ago, while walking along Carpenter Street in Kuching, I stumbled upon a little café I never expected to find—but I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. Tucked between old shophouses and the scent of street food, this café stood out not because of how it looked, but because of what it stood for.
It’s run entirely by a group of young backpackers from the UK. No big names. No major sponsors. Just a group of kind-hearted souls who decided to pour their time, energy, and limited resources into creating something that gives back—something for the stray cats of Kuching. Their mission is simple and pure: to raise money and awareness for the hundreds of cats that roam our streets, often overlooked and forgotten.
They serve great food, they make good coffee, and they welcome everyone who walks through their doors. But the space itself—it’s clear they did everything on their own. The renovation is raw, unpolished, and clearly stretched thin by budget limitations. But honestly? That’s part of what made it so moving. It’s not perfect, but it’s real. It has heart.
Still, as an interior designer, I couldn’t help but feel that the space deserved more. Not more in the way of luxury, but more in the way of love through design. The kind of thoughtful attention that reflects the beauty of their mission. The warmth they’re already giving to the community and to the cats—it deserves to be echoed in the walls, the furniture, the layout, the light.
So I went home and did what I do best—I designed.
Not because they asked. Not because they even know who I am. But because something about that café pulled at me. I imagined what their space could be with the right support: still rustic, still backpacker-friendly, but cleaner, cozier, more intentional. A space where people not only come for a good meal, but also feel something deeper—a connection to the cause, to the cats, and to the people behind it all.
This concept is my quiet offering to them. A design gift, made with hope that one day they might come across it. And if they do, I hope they’ll know: I saw them. I saw the love, the sacrifice, the effort. And this? This is for them.
Maybe someday, with the right sponsor or a bit of good fortune, this design might help bring their café to life in the way it deserves. Until then, this page holds the dream.