Nicole Puryear is shown with two “office cats” from her husband Eric’s legal practice at 3719 Bridge Ave., Davenport. Ms. Puryear will soon open Books & Meows, a place to buy books and adopt cats that need a home. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
Nicole Puryear has a special place in her heart for cats and books. In an age of online reading, the 39-year-old Bettendorf woman still loves to hold a real book in her hands. She also loves the purrs and different personalities of cats. (Her family has five felines roaming around their home.) “I like reading […]
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Nicole Puryear has a special place in her heart for cats and books.In an age of online reading, the 39-year-old Bettendorf woman still loves to hold a real book in her hands. She also loves the purrs and different personalities of cats. (Her family has five felines roaming around their home.)“I like reading the physical books. … What’s better than reading with a cat in your lap?” she recently told the QCBJ.Ms. Puryear is bringing her passions together under one roof. Books & Meows – a used book store and a place to adopt cats that need a home – will be located in the business building at 3719 Bridge Ave., Suite 2, Davenport.“I’ve loved the idea of a cat cafe for many years, but the idea of bringing books and cats together just started a few weeks ago,” Ms. Puryear said as she worked to get her new nonprofit ready to open.If all goes according to plan, Books & Meow will be open for business on Saturday, Jan. 27. The operating hours were still in the works at press time. But she expects hours to be 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. It also will be open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays, but will be closed on Sundays and Wednesdays. There will be extended hours during the summer. Store hours will have to center around her family life. Ms. Puryear and her husband, Eric, have three children between the ages of 12 and 6. The operating hours might also be expanded later if Ms. Puryear hires employees or gets volunteers to help run Books & Meows. At the moment, though, the business will be a one-woman show, she added. But before Books & Meows opens, there’s a lot of work that needs to get done. As of mid-January, she was painting the interior walls, bringing in furniture for the office space, and collecting donated used books. Some of the books already available include: “If the Cat Fits. Color Your Favorite Scene and Finish With Decorative Stickers,” “The Wild Blue. The Men and Boys who Flew the B-24s Over Germany,” and “Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work.”She is looking for more book donations. “I have no specific number of books in mind, but the more books, the better,” she said.To make donations, email Ms. Puryear at [email protected].“The hardest part of setting up Books & Meows is all the little details that need to be figured out for everything to run smoothly,” she said.Fortunately, one of the big details of running the business – getting the office space – is set. Her husband Eric is an attorney and owns the office building at 3719 Bridge Ave. Suite 2 was once empty office space for his law practice. Ms. Puryear said he was happy to help and support the new Books & Meows by providing the office space.Here are some details about the new Books & Meows:• Once open, the place will have 10 to 15 cats roaming around the offices. She might add more cats at a later point. Ms. Puryear is working with local shelters to bring in cats. At press time, she was still working to partner with an area shelter. The cats will be adopted through the shelter, but once adopted they can be taken home from Books & Meows. “If we can take more cats in later, we will,” she added.•Books & Meows is a nonprofit dedicated to helping cats find homes and promoting literacy. In addition to selling used books, there is a small lending library set up in the parking lot on site.•Visitors will make a $5 donation to enter Books & Meows. The donations will help the organization care for the cats.•In addition to books and cats, the place will include work/study spaces, a casual sitting area and a children’s room with games. There will also be free WiFi.Even with all the extra features and amenities, Ms. Puryear said the main feature of the nonprofit storefront will be the cats.“The cats will be free roaming here. They won’t be in cages. This will be their home,” she added.