Kitty Yoga at Axemann Brewery Brings Community Together for Centre County PAWS

Axemann Brewery in Bellefonte looked a little different on Wednesday night depending on which floor you were on.

Downstairs, people played cornhole, sat around the bar and gathered for trivia. Upstairs, nearly 50 people sat on yoga mats waiting to hold kittens.

You’ve probably heard of goat yoga. Maybe even puppy yoga. But Centre County PAWS and Axemann Brewery have taken the idea in a smaller, fluffier direction with Kitty Yoga.

The event drew 79 people across two hour-long sessions, with 46 attending the first and 33 attending the second, according to PAWS Events and Marketing Manager Alicia Starr. Five foster kittens from two litters joined them.

Tickets cost $30, with all proceeds benefiting PAWS. Axemann donates its upstairs event space and does not take any of the ticket or donation money, according to Melanie Kipp, one of Axemann Brewery’s general managers who oversees event coordination.

What started as an experiment has turned into a recurring fundraiser. After the first Kitty Yoga sold out and organizers added a second session, Starr, Kipp and registered yoga teacher Kristin Leung began planning events every other month. The series began March 1 and has continued every other month throughout 2026, with one more event scheduled for Nov. 15.

“We did it as a test to see how it would go, and it blew up,” Kipp said.

“We are 100% donation-based,” Starr said. “I don’t think a lot of people realize that.”

Starr described PAWS as a community resource for companion animals and their people in Centre County. Along with finding adoptive homes for animals, the organization works directly with pet owners through programs including monthly low-cost vaccine and microchip clinics.

Money raised through events like Kitty Yoga can go toward medical expenses, spay and neuter vouchers, facility maintenance and other needs.

“We want to help people keep their pets in their homes, because those bills can be substantial,” Starr said.

For Starr, the event is also a chance to introduce more people to PAWS and the work it does.

“People may have heard our name but aren’t sure where we’re located (1401 Trout Road, State College) or exactly what we do,” Starr said. “Being able to speak with them is very beneficial.”

Yoga, With a Few Distractions

Leung, who is registered with Yoga Alliance and has completed 500 hours of training, has taught yoga since 2016 and fitness classes since 2001.

Teaching yoga in a brewery full of kittens, however, requires some flexibility.

“Probably shouldn’t say this out loud, but I don’t plan,” Leung said. “I mean, I’ve been doing this for a really long time, so I kind of go off vibes.”

She does have a general idea of how she wants to warm up the class and which sequences she might use. From there, Leung watches participants’ body language, facial expressions and movement and decides where to take the class next.

The brewery itself adds another layer. Trivia and other events can be happening downstairs while Leung is teaching upstairs. She said she relies on her “teacher voice,” something she developed through her career as a middle school teacher, to keep the class moving.

But she knows the kittens are going to win some of the attention.

“I know some people are not here for yoga,” Leung said. “There are some people who are just here for the cats, and that’s OK. So just let it go.”

Leung said she tries to make the class accessible to beginners, giving people the option to modify or skip poses based on what works for them.

She is also used to mixing cats and yoga. Leung has two cats of her own, Lavender, a “travel cat” who has been to 18 states, and Jill, who is 18. She has even incorporated one of her cats into acroyoga at home.

How Kitty Yoga Came Together

Kitty Yoga came out of relationships PAWS, Axemann and Leung had already formed.

Axemann’s relationship with PAWS predates Kitty Yoga. Kipp said the brewery, which opened in 2020, had already hosted trivia fundraisers for the organization before she took over the partnership.

Leung’s connection with Axemann started separately.

She moved to the State College area in August 2024. After moving to Bellefonte, Leung reached out to Axemann about teaching yoga there while looking for ways to become involved in her new community.

She began teaching regular yoga sessions at the brewery. Later, while Kipp was brainstorming other events for the space, she thought about animal yoga.

“I’d seen advertisements for animal yoga, so I thought, ‘What about kitten or puppy yoga?’” Kipp said.

She brought the idea to Starr, who said puppies would be harder to manage with a large crowd and kittens would be a better fit.

They decided to try it.

The first Kitty Yoga was held March 1 with two afternoon sessions, both of which sold out. Organizers then scheduled additional events every other month, with sessions held in May, July and September and another scheduled for November.

Once the first social media post started getting attention, Kipp realized the idea might be bigger than expected.

“This is big,” Kipp recalled texting Starr. “We need a proper signup and everything.”

“I thought it would be popular,” Kipp said. “If you add kittens or puppies to something, people tend to love it.”

Tickets generally go on sale about two to three weeks before each event, Starr said. PAWS can sell up to 50 tickets per session, though she said the room is more comfortable with about 35 to 40 people.

The sessions are generally held on Thursday evenings or Sunday afternoons. Kipp said organizers vary the days to accommodate different schedules, while Starr has noticed the Thursday crowd tends to include more Penn State students. The July event had the lowest attendance while students were out of session.

Several sessions have sold out, Leung said, and organizers have occasionally had to turn people away.

Five Kittens, Two Litters

Not every kitten at PAWS ends up at Kitty Yoga.

PAWS generally looks for kittens around 6 to 8 weeks old, Starr said, because they are easier to handle at that age. Before choosing which kittens will attend, she checks with PAWS’ operations manager, executive director and medical team to see which animals are available, healthy and in the right age range.

Young kittens and puppies go into foster homes after being medically checked rather than remaining at the PAWS facility because they require additional care, Starr said.

And even if a kitten is selected for Kitty Yoga, there is no guarantee it will still be available by the time the event arrives.

“They obviously cannot come to Kitty Yoga if they are adopted, as we are a rescue and want to get the animals into adoptive homes as soon as possible,” Starr said.

Once the kittens arrive at Axemann, PAWS takes several precautions to keep them safe. Doors and windows are closed, and the kittens are passed from person to person rather than allowed to roam freely.

Starr said passing them makes sure everyone gets time with a kitten while also keeping the animals from getting behind the bar, disappearing into corners or getting lost or injured.

“Get your cuddles, and if the kitten falls asleep, let it fall asleep,” Starr said. “Keep passing it so everybody gets time with the kitten. They sleep, eat and play, kinda on repeat.”

The kittens also get breaks for water, the litter box and rest. Their carriers stay nearby in enclosed pens with blankets, towels and other supplies. Starr said PAWS does not bring kittens with medical issues to the event.

Wednesday was the first time PAWS brought kittens from two separate litters to Kitty Yoga.

Three kittens came from one litter and two from another. Because the litters could not be mixed, volunteers kept them separated and participants sanitized their hands between handling them.

Organizers even changed the setup between Wednesday’s two sessions after figuring out a better way to move the kittens around the room. Starr divided participants into two circles, allowing volunteers to switch the litters after sanitizing rather than moving between individual participants as often.

“You learn as you go,” Starr said.

Three of Wednesday’s kittens, Banana Split, Hot Fudge Sundae and Root Beer Float, belonged to what PAWS called its “ice cream litter.”

Heather Shadow, who has volunteered with Centre County PAWS for about 10 years, said the litter was found in a dumpster.

The kittens were scheduled to become available for adoption Saturday. Starr said people at Wednesday’s event were already asking about them.

“We’ve gotten a few kittens adopted from this event,” Starr said.

For Starr, seeing that interaction between people and the animals is one of her favorite parts of the event.

“I love that everybody comes out and takes photos, and the joy on people’s faces when they’re holding a kitten,” Starr said.

A Room Full of Newcomers

Despite the event returning every other month since March, Wednesday brought an entirely new group of participants.

At the beginning of each session, Starr asked whether anyone had been to Kitty Yoga before. Not a single person raised their hand in either session.

Leung said she was happy to see large groups of friends, parents with their children and people trying yoga for the first time.

Some approached her afterward to tell her, “This was a great night.”

For Taylor Wright, a fifth-year Penn State kinesiology student, Kitty Yoga was new, but PAWS was not.

She attended with her boyfriend, Ishaan Sethi, a third-year Penn State finance student. Wright said her family adopted a beagle from PAWS about 10 years ago. The dog is now around 13.

Wright has also been thinking about adopting a cat and said PAWS would be where she would look.

She and Sethi liked that the kittens were passed around the room instead of being allowed to roam freely.

Sethi had previously attended puppy yoga where the animals moved around on their own, meaning some participants got more time with them than others. At Kitty Yoga, passing the kittens around meant everyone got a turn.

Wright and Sethi held two kittens during the session.

They said the yoga itself still felt like a real class, even with the distraction. Both left feeling stretched out, and the back stretches and child’s pose were among the parts of the class they enjoyed.

The fundraising aspect also stood out to Wright.

“It was nice that she said that in the beginning, that events like that funded them,” Wright said. “I didn’t really know that.”

Leung said she also hopes people leave with a better understanding of PAWS, including that the organization relies on donations and the work it does to find homes for animals.

Starr is one of two fundraisers for PAWS and called events like Kitty Yoga “extremely important.” PAWS holds two large fundraising events each year along with smaller events throughout the year.

When the proceeds from the recurring Kitty Yoga sessions are added together, Starr said they amount to a significant fundraiser.

“It’s bringing in funding, and it’s putting PAWS in the community,” Starr said.

“It goes toward the greatest need in the organization, which can be medical, spay and neuter vouchers, maintenance, the facility, a lot,” Starr said. “Keeping the lights on. Keeping us doing our jobs.”

More Ways to Get Involved

Starr has worked at PAWS for seven and a half years. She started part time as an events assistant before becoming events manager and later taking on marketing responsibilities.

Shadow has helped with every Kitty Yoga event and received PAWS’ Volunteer of the Year Award during her decade with the organization.

She said the event has changed as organizers have learned what works, what doesn’t and how to make it better for everyone involved.

But Kitty Yoga is only one way people can help PAWS.

Shadow said volunteers can foster animals, walk dogs, clean, help at special events, take photographs or even scoop litter boxes.

“There are tons of opportunities and all kinds of different ways that you can get involved and volunteer,” Shadow said.

“It’s pretty rewarding to see the animals being cared for so much.”

She said PAWS has a veterinarian on staff to provide medical care when animals need it. She also finds it rewarding to see people come in looking for a companion and eventually leave with an adopted animal.

Leung has her own history with animal shelters.

Before moving to the area, she volunteered at a shelter in New Jersey for about five years. She does not have as much time to volunteer now, but Kitty Yoga gives her another way to contribute.

Asked what she enjoys most about teaching the class, her answer was short.

“Supporting PAWS.”

What’s Next

PAWS and Axemann’s partnership goes beyond Kitty Yoga.

The brewery has hosted trivia fundraisers for PAWS and currently alternates Kitty Yoga with animal-themed paint nights, Kipp said. Puppies sometimes attend the paint events because the smaller groups are easier to manage, though Kipp said the animals involved depend on which ones PAWS has available.

Axemann provides the upstairs room for PAWS events at no charge. PAWS keeps the full $30 registration fee and any donations collected at Kitty Yoga.

For Kipp, events like these are part of Axemann’s broader relationship with the area.

“Working with the community is a big priority for us,” Kipp said. “We’re locally owned and operated. We want local support, so we also support local organizations and try to bring in what we can.”

Asked what events like Kitty Yoga bring to the community, Kipp had a shorter answer.

“Togetherness.”

Kipp said she hopes hosting fundraisers also lets other organizations know Axemann is open to collaborations and community events.

PAWS will host Paws-toberfest on Oct. 25 at its shelter. The dog-friendly festival will include live music, vendors, food trucks and beverage bars.

“We’re also here as a resource for the community, and the community, in turn, helps us so much,” Starr said. “It really is a partnership between PAWS and the Centre County community. We’re grateful, and we’re shown all the time how much we work together. It’s incredible.”

The next scheduled Kitty Yoga will be held Sunday, Nov. 15, with sessions at 12:30 and 2 p.m. PAWS and Axemann have been holding the events every other month since March.

Kipp said Axemann would be open to hosting them even more often.

“If Alicia wanted to do it every month, I’d be open to that, too,” Kipp said. “It depends on their schedule because they have so much going on. Whenever we can make it work, and as long as it keeps selling out, we’ll continue.”

PAWS has also received requests to bring Kitty Yoga to other groups and spaces, but Starr said the organization is comfortable with what it has built at Axemann.

“I see it continuing,” Starr said. “I think it’s exactly where it needs to be. We’re at a sweet spot.”

“We know the kittens are safe, and we have such a great partnership with Axemann,” Starr said. “We don’t want to overwhelm our kittens.”

Sometimes the Kittens Win

After several Kitty Yoga sessions, Leung has learned that sometimes the kittens decide how much yoga gets done.

One of her favorite interruptions happened during the first five or 10 minutes of a previous class, when a kitten climbed into a participant’s lap and fell asleep.

It stayed there.

“And for the remaining 45 minutes of class, the kitten was laid out, sprawled out, arms overhead, legs long, in her lap,” Leung said.

So the participant stayed there, too.

Starr said she hopes people leave Kitty Yoga feeling two things.

“Happy and relaxed.”