From ABC News · ABC News · · 1m 30s
The cat cafe founder standing up for pets born different
Christina Ha built Meow Parlour, then a foundation for the animals most people walk past.
In brief
Christina Ha built Meow Parlour, then a foundation for the animals most people walk past. A birth defect is a care plan, not a verdict, and the animals that have one still make good pets. Originally reported by ABC News.
A day for the overlooked
September 13 marks pet birth defect awareness day, a yearly nudge to think about animals born with conditions they did not choose.
Meet Christina Ha
Ha is the founder of Meow Parlour, and she spends her time on the animals that shelters and buyers tend to skip.
A cat cafe with a mission
Meow Parlour puts people and cats in the same room, which turns a curious visit into an adoption far more often than a cage does.
The foundation behind it
Ha walks through the work her foundation does, the unglamorous part that happens after the cute photos and before a cat finds a home.
“the work behind her foundation”
What a birth defect means
Congenital conditions are present from birth. A missing limb, a wobbly gait, an organ that formed wrong. Most of them are manageable, not fatal.
Different needs, same pet
These animals need a vet who knows their case and an owner who plans ahead. In return they do exactly what any other pet does.
Compassion is the ask
Ha's pitch is simple. Look twice at the animal you were about to pass over, and ask what it would actually take to bring it home.
“why it's important to care for animals with pet birth defects”
What to remember
A birth defect is a care plan, not a verdict, and the animals that have one still make good pets.
