By Cody Mello-Klein | cmelloklein@alextimes.com

Alexandria’s first cat café and wine bar, Mount Purrnon, celebrated its one-year anniversary and a major adoption milestone on Sunday, according to a news release. After opening during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mount Purrnon has helped 180 cats find their purr-ever homes.

Located in Old Town at 109 S. Alfred St., Mount Purrnon houses 15 to 20 rescue cats at a time, all of which are found through a partnership with Fancy Cats and Dogs Rescue Team and most of which are taken out of kill shelters. Whether they are interested in adopting or not, visitors are able to interact with the cats in one part of Mount Purrnon and drink wine or grab a bite in a separate café section.

Originally planned for a spring 2020 opening, owner Kristin Cowan ended up pushing back Mount Purrnon’s opening date until August 2020. Cown regularly organizes special events at the cat café as well, including Jeopurrdy nights, meditation sessions and wine tastings, according to the release.