photo by: Chad Lawhorn/Journal-World

Wild Birds Unlimited plans to open at 2540 Iowa Street in March 2023.

First, I get word that a store that helps people attract more birds is coming to Lawrence. Next, I get a tip that a “cat cafe” is close to finalizing a deal to locate in downtown Lawrence. Yes, now I really am worried that a group of devious cats run the world.

No, I really don’t have evidence of a cat mastermind that is licking her paws at the thought of more birds, but let me pass along what I do know. First, the bird store, because that is much more of a certainty.

Wild Birds Unlimited Nature Shop has signed a deal to locate on south Iowa Street in the shopping center that includes First Watch and Popeyes. Shawn Malone told me he hopes to have the store open by early March.

If you aren’t familiar with the shop, there are about 300 of them across the country, including several in Johnson County. While the shop won’t sell birds, it sells basically everything needed to attract them to your backyard.

“We are about bringing people and nature together,” Malone said.

That concept is right in line with how many Lawrence residents think, Malone said, which led him to believe that a bird-based store would do well in the community.

“I just knew that Lawrence is a town that embraces conservation, and we are a big part of that,” Malone said, noting that not every community has a local chapter of the Audubon Society like Lawrence does.

photo by: Chad Lawhorn/Journal-World

Bird seed, feed, houses and other accessories for bird watchers will be part of the new Birds Unlimited shop coming to Lawrence.

If you are uncertain about what a store would sell to help you attract birds, the answer is lots of seeds and feeds. Malone said the shop will have more than a dozen different types of seeds to attract birds, plus multiple other types of feed. That includes suet, which is basically beef fat that is fed to birds, plus mealworms and other protein-rich feeds.

In case you haven’t figured it out, the different types of feed you use can attract different types of birds. Attracting a wide variety of birds is a big deal to many birdwatchers, who often get together in clubs to compare notes about who has seen what.

But you don’t have to be that type of birdwatcher to use the store. Malone said there are plenty of people who use birdwatching as a way to beautify their back yards. In addition to the feed, habitat is a major element in attracting birds. A yard that attracts birds often is a yard that is healthy and attractive, meaning you could view the money spent on attracting birds as an investment.

“People can invest in their own home and see nature up close at the same time,” Malone said.

The shop will sell all types of bird houses, poles for hanging feeders, books and other resources for bird watchers, and some things that just sound fun. Bark butter, anyone? Birds say, yes, please, as it apparently is a tasty, spreadable suet that you paste right on the bark of a tree and wait for the butter-eating party to begin. (My household is glad to learn we are not the only one that has butter-eating parties.)

Malone said he decided to open the shop after being a birdwatcher himself and seeing how busy the Wild Birds Unlimited shop was in Shawnee. While the brand has several stores in the Kansas City area, it currently does not have any Kansas stores west of the KC metro, meaning the Lawrence location could draw from a wide area when it opens this spring.

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Now, on to the idea of a cat cafe. A source told me a deal has been reached for a cat cafe to open in a space in the southern end of downtown. If you are not familiar with cat cafes, they are becoming popular in many metro areas, including Kansas City. The general idea is that patrons can come in, have some coffee, some sandwiches, some sweets, all while being in the presence of lots of cats that make their home in the cafe. Some have said it is a great way to interact with a cat without having to actually own one.

Some cat cafes charge a cover charge to help defray the expense of caring for the cats. I don’t have many details about this potential downtown venture. It sounds like the cafe would be coffee-based in terms of its offerings, but I haven’t had luck talking to the potential owners, so I’m light on details.

My source did say the cafe basically was a done deal, but until a few more details emerge I would consider this something to keep an eye on rather than a firm announcement. I’ll let you know if I hear more. But, given how pet crazy Lawrence is, this was just too purrrfect of a tip not to pass along.

Let’s end on that pun, because we certainly shouldn’t take the chance that they’ll become worse.