Cat lovers out there, I have got some exciting news for you. India has now got an entire brand celebrating the love for cats. Yes! You heard me right.
Curious Cat Company, a brand that took birth in the city of Mumbai is dedicated to making everyday items from t-shirts to coasters to bags that feature cats. Evolved from a deep-seated love for furry felines and everything they represent, the brand’s products represent the independence, curiosity, subtlety, elegance coupled with whimsy and that glamorous attitude cats carry.
Launched in July 2020, Curious Cat Company is the brainchild of Vinda Dravid, a civil engineer turned entrepreneur who took the leap of starting her dream business amid the pandemic. She always felt the urge to have a startup of her own for which she dropped out of her masters at Columbia University.
“I graduated as a civil engineer, worked as a structural consultant for 2 years and opted out of a confirmed admission in Columbia University for a masters degree in structural engineering because I realized I wanted to start my own business somewhere down the line and not stick to a profession,” she said.
To understand the concept behind the brand, one has to delve into the mind of Vinda and her love for cats.
Speaking to LifeBeyondNumbers, Vinda said that she was first attracted to the felines at the beginning of her profession while she was an intern in Zurich. When she came back to India, her heart was already cat-struck and she is now petting and feeding a number of cats at her house and society.
“It all began with a cat I met in 2014, during my engineering internship in Zurich, Switzerland. I was living with a beautiful Swiss Family who owned 3 cats. This was the first time I had the opportunity to live in close quarters with Cats or even pets of any kind. Over time, I developed a bond with Schoggi – a black Bombay cat whose fur was darker than the darkest Swiss chocolate!” said Vinda explaining how her love-affair started with the felines.
“I spent a good three months in Zurich, discovering the many eccentricities and multi-layered personality of Schoggi. Then I came back to India and convinced my family to let me get a cat and there has been no turning back ever since! Today, we have adopted three cats, have owned two other Persians and continue befriending, petting, feeding & taking care of new ones who turn up at our doorstep or out on the alley every day,” she further added.
Soon Vinda’s love for cats grew into a whole brand. She started Curious Cat Company that evolved from the need to pet unsuspecting cats on streets, shop fronts, markets, and people’s homes as well as hoarding anything well designed that had cats on it.
We were very curious about Vinda’s choice of naming the brand ‘Curious Cat’. To this, she explained, “One of the qualities I admire most in a cat is their curiosity. They are amused and absorbed by the simplest of objects or situations. I too am a curious person, always thinking about new ideas & wanting to know more about the world. The name just befits my personality and how I identify with cats.”
While millions of companies and startups are at stake in the pandemic, Vinda was brave enough to launch the brand despite that. Ironically by god’s grace or cat’s luck, Curious Cat customers have been understanding and the sales have been fine. Lockdown has enabled her to focus on the project without any pressure, Vinda says.
“Since I do not have data about the business before a pandemic, having launched it on 30th June, I don’t know if it is affecting sales adversely! It does affect the delivery times which are currently between 7-12 days for products to be shipped from our warehouse due to reduced manpower or lockdown regulations in certain parts of the country as the parcel is in transit. Most customers are very understanding about this. Sales have only been improving & climbing since our launch in June. But honestly, the lockdown enabled me to focus solely on this project without any pressure of getting it out there as fast as possible or to start making money asap. So I spent 3 months, working on this for 8 hours a day undisturbed!”
Curious Cat Company collaborates with Cat Loving Artists to create original designs and limited-edition handmade pieces. They have started an Artist Partner Program for the same. The artists get a share of the revenues the company makes along with a small percentage that gets donated to Cat Welfare Organisations.
The company pledges 5% of their annual profits to Cat Rescue, Rehabilitation & Adoption Initiatives such as CUPA India. They also motivate their audience to celebrate art by holding an Art Contest on their Instagram handle every Friday.
On September 22, they have started their own Podcast, where they intend to share funny cat stories, adoptions, facts, history, advice from vets & behavior specialists, communicators, NGOs & more.
“Curious Cat Co is a brand that strongly supports & encourages art & converts more people into cat lovers. I would love to eventually start a chain of artsy cat cafes that celebrate cats, art & great food. I would also love a cat in every fur coat & color,” Vinda said, envisioning the company’s future.
Love cats? Then why wait? Go, check out their products.