No kitten around: The nation’s first and only pop-up Kitten Lounge reports skyrocketing applications for adoptions–at a rate far exceeding initial expectations. Since the pop-up Kitten Lounge officially opened March 1st, there have been approximately 200 applications for kitten adoptions. At the current pace, adoption applications could top 800 by the time the Lounge wraps up its expected four-month run. That’s at least 300 more requests than anticipated.

The Lounge, located in Washington, D.C.’s historic Georgetown neighborhood, gives visitors a chance to snuggle exclusively with three-to-six month kittens–and if they want, apply to adopt one (or two) as new members of the household.

Adoptions take anywhere from two to four weeks to complete after an application is submitted.

So far, approximately 50 kittens have already found new homes. But the numbers to save other kittens are staggering:

• Competition for the kittens is intense. Each of the up to 30 kittens in the lounge averages five adoption applications. The animal rescue partnering with the Lounge decides who gets to adopt the kittens based on their applications and the best fit!

• On any given day, about half of the kittens in the Georgetown store have already been adopted.

• In the first month, the Lounge is averaging about 20 applications per day, and one and a half official adoptions per day. Adoptions are official when the kittens are marked as off-the-market and are just awaiting pickup to go home.

• Most kittens go home in pairs, but some kittens can go home solo–if the home already has other pets.

• Between its two cat cafes and the new pop-up Kitten Lounge, Crumbs & Whiskers has already facilitated almost 980 cat and kitten adoptions with nearly 2,200 saved from the risk of euthanasia.

• More than $25,500 has been donated to various charities and nonprofits.

A critical mission for the pop-up is to bring attention to kitten season, which despite its name, is a serious matter. Each March through June, an influx of stray kittens overload animal shelters nationwide. Many cannot handle the costs and responsibilities of caring for so many kittens. Every year, about 860,000 cats are euthanized, according to the ASPCA.  At the pop-up Kitten Lounge, adoptions are available, but not required. Still, visitors get to mingle, play and cuddle with the kittens. The interactions allow visitors a chance to get better acquainted with the animal, an interaction not available at shelters.

The pop-up Kitten Lounge is from the same successful team behind Crumbs & Whiskers, the groundbreaking cat cafe with locations in D.C. and Los Angeles, California. The lounge is in response to overwhelming public demand from visitors to the C&W Cat Cafes.

“With these record number of applications, we’re saving kittens beyond our wildest dreams,” says Kanchan Singh, Founder and CEO of Crumbs & Whiskers cat cafes and kitten lounges. “We never anticipated the pop-up Kitten Lounge would make this much of a difference.”

Kittens for the Lounge are provided in partnership with Homeward Trails Animal Rescue, a local nonprofit. With each adoption, a space opens up at the Rescue for yet another kitten to be cared for, and hopefully, eventually adopted.

About: Crumbs & Whiskers partners with local rescues to save homeless cats from euthanasia and to provide them with a comfortable, clean, free-range environment. Cat cafe and Kitten Lounge visitors enjoy guilt-free, fun, educational and personal experiences with adoptable cats. The Crumbs & Whiskers experience allows humans to connect with animals on a new level and enables otherwise homeless cats to participate in valuable socialization. Unlike standard animal shelters, Crumbs & Whiskers is a for-purpose business model, with all profits reinvested in our team, our infrastructure, and most importantly, our cats.