Sono International opens Purr Lounge, urban adoption hub for stray cats
Summary
Sono International opened Purr Lounge at its new headquarters in Magok-dong, southwestern Seoul, on Wednesday. The space is an urban adoption hub for stray and abandoned cats, developed with the Sono Veterinary Foundation. It is designed to promote rescued-cat rehabilitation and responsible pet adoption rather than operate as a typical cat cafe.
Key Facts
- Purr Lounge occupies the first floor of Sono Trinity Commons, Sono International’s new headquarters building.
- The Sono Veterinary Foundation provides medical care at the facility and has signed an agreement with Gangwon State to expand adoption and medical support for stray cats in the province.
- Prospective adopters must pass the Purr Bridge screening process, which includes in-depth interviews, a review of their living environment, and mandatory pre-adoption training.
- The center sells a Purr Pass that includes merchandise featuring its character Puru and a beverage voucher for Flower Flow, and all proceeds support the rescue and adoption programs.
The Purr Lounge urban adoption hub for stray and abandoned cats in southwestern Seoul's Magok-dong / Courtesy of Sono International
Sono International, part of Sono Trinity Group, opened Purr Lounge, an urban adoption hub for stray and abandoned cats, at the company's new headquarters building in southwestern Seoul's Magok-dong, the leisure, hospitality and construction conglomerate said Wednesday.
Purr Lounge, developed in partnership with the Sono Veterinary Foundation, occupies the first floor of Sono Trinity Commons, the group's new headquarters building.
Rather than functioning as a typical cat cafe, the space is designed as a participatory animal welfare center focused on helping rescued cats recover and promoting responsible pet adoption.
The Sono Veterinary Foundation, which has signed an agreement with Gangwon State to expand adoption and medical support for stray cats in the province, provides medical care at the facility, helping rescued cats undergo emotional and physical rehabilitation before being placed in permanent homes.
Cats at the center receive health checkups and treatment along with individualized emotional care and socialization training based on each animal's temperament.
To build what the company called a "healthy adoption ecosystem free of returns," Purr Lounge runs a screening process called Purr Bridge, which requires prospective adopters to go through in-depth interviews, a review of their living environment and mandatory pre-adoption training — an approach the company said is meant to promote a culture of responsible pet adoption.
The center also sells a Purr Pass, which includes merchandise featuring the facility's signature character, Puru, and a beverage voucher for the in-house cafe, Flower Flow. All proceeds go toward Purr Lounge's cat rescue and adoption programs, allowing visitors to give direct support through their purchases.
A Sono International official said Purr Lounge was created to share with the public the company's values of respect for life and social responsibility in the heart of the city, adding that the company will continue working closely with the Sono Veterinary Foundation to improve the quality of animal protection and adoption culture and to practice sustainable environmental, social and corporate governance management across multiple fronts.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
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