Hey! I’m Azarea
I love connecting humans with animals. It’s a special, healing connection that I deeply believe in. I started Crumbs & Whiskers to create a space where animal lovers could find that connection, and where homeless cats at risk of euthanasia could find homes.
Crumbs & Whiskers is something I am absolutely in love with. This is the story of how C&W was born.
In late 2014, I had it pretty good. I had a corporate job with a cushy paycheck and spent my weekends partying, shopping, and traveling. Amazing, right?
You'd think so, but I was really unhappy. I wasn't doing what I loved, I wasn't making a difference, and life felt meaningless. I needed a change. So I asked myself: What have I dreamt of doing for a really long time, but never done?
The answer was to travel to Thailand and volunteer at an elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai, started by one of my personal heroes, Lek Chailert. (Look her up, she's incredible.)
Even though I only spent a few days at that elephant sanctuary, it reminded me of a truth that I had forgotten in the bustle of the city and corporate life: I love, love, love animals. And I wanted to do something with my life that helped animals. But...I also loved business and believed in the power of businesses to create impact that can't be achieved by traditional charities.
I was left wondering: How can I combine my love for socially conscious businesses with my love for animals?
I honestly didn't have the answer.
Right after the elephant sanctuary, I made some new friends in Chiang Mai. My 24th birthday was just around the corner, and after watching me share all my meals with every stray dog and cat in sight, my new friends realized they knew the perfect place to celebrate my birthday.
They took me to Catmosphere, Chiang Mai's cat cafe. And I fell in love.
I wondered why cat cafes didn't exist back home. I thought about the huge impact cat cafes could make by housing homeless cats in a more humane way and increasing adoptions. I wondered if I could start my own cat cafe when I returned to the United States.
Wait. Why not?
So I came back to the US, quit my job, and set off to create Crumbs & Whiskers. I had finally found my dream project — a way to intertwine conscious business and animal welfare. I started a Kickstarter to fund Crumbs & Whiskers, and I really didn't know if it was going to work out, but I knew I had to give it a shot
Today, Crumbs & Whiskers is a dream come true. We’ve saved thousands of cats from risk of euthanasia and created spaces where people can experience the healing and magic of animals.
Thank you for supporting us and for helping us create a better world for animals — it means the world to me.
Love, Azarea