The Calico Nook has found its first New England home right here in Franklin. The grand opening, Saturday, March 14, welcomed cat lovers and local art admirers to stop by and enjoy a relaxing upscale cafe with free roaming cats.

Marissa Massucco and Kristi Mahoney are the proud owners of Calico Nook which is located at 58 East Central Street. Having veterinary experience, Massucco says the nook is affiliated with humane societies including Paws of Plainville and Countryside Veterinary Clinic in Wrentham.

All the cats at the nook are rescued, spayed, vaccinated, neutered, and may be looking for a new home. The Calico Nook also features many local art pieces for customers to view and cat-centric merchandise is available to purchase.

Admission is $5 a person or $20 for an immediate family over four. On weekends or evenings, it is $5 per person per hour. All the admissions go toward taking care of the cats.

Books are available to read in the nook, and special events including kids craft activities and acoustic music nights will be held. Unfortunately, they cannot serve food or drinks at the Calico Nook, but customers are welcome to bring in covered drinks.

Franklin High School Junior and cat lover, Bryanna Samolyk, heard about the grand opening from some of her friends, claiming that the word must be spreading, since a lot of other students were talking about it.

Samolyk does not have a pet cat at her house, so she explains that this is a great opportunity for her to be able to visit the cats but not have the responsibility that having a pet comes with.

Interested in volunteering at the nook? Massucco adds that they will be looking for volunteers to attend to customers and assist with cleanup in the future.

Check out www.caliconook.com for more about store hours and other interesting information.