Mission Statement 

HELPING TO SAVE THE LIVES OF CATS AND KITTENS IN NEED THROUGH RESCUE, TNR, AND EDUCATION AT THE JERSEY SHORE AND BEYOND!

Our Founding Story 

Catsbury Park was founded in July 2016 in Asbury Park, NJ, by Jersey Shore native DJ Bornschein as a foster-based rescue. DJ brought over 25 kittens into his home, got them vetted, spayed & neutered, and eventually adopted. That summer, DJ had the vision to expand Catsbury Park, open NJ’s first cat cafe to help find homes for even more cats, and increase Catsbury Park’s visibility. Inspired by his visit to Cat Town Rescue and cat cafe in Oakland during his time in San Francisco, DJ brought this innovative idea to New Jersey.

In September 2017, Catsbury Park Cat Cafe & Tea House opened its doors in Asbury Park, NJ, marking a significant milestone. The physical location provided a platform for Catsbury Park to expand its rescue efforts, partnering with local shelters to offer a new lease on life for many at-risk cats. The results were tangible, with over 200 cats and kittens finding their forever homes in the first year alone.

April 2018 saw yet another milestone for Catsbury Park: the inception of the inaugural Catsbury Park Cat Convention (CPCC). This event was a celebration of our shared love for felines, bringing close to 5,000 cat lovers to the Jersey Shore. The convention featured entertainment, shopping, and educational seminars on all things feline, raising funds for Catsbury Park and various other organizations we support. The event’s success exceeded our expectations, and its return in 2019 was even bigger. In October 2019, the event expanded to Philadelphia, receiving rave reviews.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought challenges, including the temporary closure of Catsbury Park’s physical location. However, we persevered and continued our mission. By March 2020, Catsbury Park had already found homes for over 1,000 cats and kittens. From March 2020 to January 2022, we returned to our roots as a foster-based rescue, conducting adoptions via events and Zoom meet-and-greets. Without a physical location, we expanded our rescue work to more grassroots trapping and TNR. In 2020 and 2021, we successfully TNR’d (trapped/neutered/returned) close to 500 cats and kittens.

Post-COVID, Catsbury Park opened a temporary location in a 900-square-foot warehouse near our old location in January 2022. Having a physical location to do adoptions and entertain guests again saw adoption numbers skyrocket. Finally, in winter 2023, we took over the entire 3000-square-foot warehouse space. We are planning a complete renovation to expand our ability to house and rescue even more at-risk cats and kittens.

Big things are on the horizon for Catsbury Park in 2024. A completely renovated adoption lounge and Cat Cafe will open in the summer of 2024. On October 5, 2024, we will welcome the return of The Catsbury Park Cat Convention to the beautiful Bell Works building in Holmdel, NJ.

Vision Statement 

Our vision is a community where no cat or kitten has to go without a home or affordable access to spay and neuter. We invite you to join us in our mission to save the lives of cats and kittens in need. Whether through adoption, volunteering, fostering, or donations, your support makes a difference.