Erin Cahill and Paul Campbell to Star in Hallmark Christmas Movie with Cats (Exclusive)

Hallmark is officially in the paw-liday spirit.

PEOPLE can exclusively reveal that fan-favorite stars Erin Cahill and Paul Campbell are set to star in the feline-friendly holiday film Christmas at the Catnip Café, which will premiere on the network as part of the 16th annual Countdown to Christmas.

“I am thrilled to be doing this movie with the one and only Paul Campbell,” Cahill tells PEOPLE. “When I read the script, I could hear his voice in my head and could imagine all the laughs on set. Add in all the cute cats and our magnificent director, Lucie Guest, and fabulous production team?! I was a joyful yes!”

“Erin is a ball of light wrapped in a bundle of joy,” Campbell says. “Plus, kittens, Christmas and a beautifully touching romance. What’s not to love?”

According to the official synopsis, the movie follows Cahill’s Olivia Pierce, “a marketing executive from Oakland, Calif., who is this close to realizing her dream of purchasing a condo, but she’s a bit short on the down payment. When she learns that her late great aunt left her half of a cat café in upstate New York, she thinks it’s the Christmas miracle she needed — as long as she can sell and close the deal before the holidays. 

“Olivia’s plan hits a bump in the road when she meets Dr. Ben Kane (Campbell), the veterinarian who owns the other half. The café serves an important role in the town — helping homeless cats find forever homes — and he has no intention of closing up shop. Christmas is the most important time of the year as they plan activities to help raise funds and get them into the black. Olivia and Ben strike a deal: she agrees to help him plan the fundraising events at the café over the next three weeks in exchange for Ben promising not to drag his heels on selling at the end of that time. Unless, Ben notes, she ends up changing her mind — a lot can happen in three weeks, after all. 

“As they work together and a spark between them grows, Olivia becomes part of the neighborhood, gains an appreciation for the café’s adorable feline inhabitants and what it means to Ben, as well as to the entire community. And when she learns the surprising reason her great aunt opened the café in the first place, that just may be the cat-alyst for change that will give them all a Merry Christmas.”

Cahill, 45, has been a regular on Hallmark Channel since appearing in Sleigh Bells Ring in 2016. Last year, she starred in Hallmark’s first holiday-centric scripted series, Holidazed, as well as festive flicks Deck the Halls on Cherry Lane and The Christmas Quest.

Campbell, 46, also stars in Three Wisest Men — the third installment of the Brenner brothers franchise he created with Kimberley Sustad and costarred in with Andrew Walker and Tyler Hynes — later this year.

Cats aren’t the only pets getting a moment of holiday glory on the network this year: Husky puppies will be costarring with Meghan Ory and Benjamin Ayres in A Christmas Angel Match.

Among the other Hallmark movies already announced for 2025 are A Grand Ole Opry Christmas starring Nikki DeLoach and Kristoffer Polaha, Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story starring Holland Roden and Matthew Daddario, She’s Making a List with Lacey Chabert and Andrew Walker, and Christmas Above the Clouds with Erin Krakow and Tyler Hynes.

Christmas at the Catnip Café will premiere later this year on Hallmark Channel as part of Countdown to Christmas.