They started in Taiwan and spread to Japan and South Korea, before popping up across Europe. Austria, Italy, Germany, Hungary, Lithuiania, and France all boast their own examples of this unique business model. There are plans in the United States and Canada to join in on the fun.
Most recently, London has opened its first cat café, called Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium, in the fashionable district of Shoreditch. This is the second in the UK. The first, Totnes Cat Café, opened in South Devon in 2013, and is so popular that it operates a reservation system. Lady Dinah's opened last week and is already booked up until June.
If you're wondering what a cat café is, then you should know that it's a café with cats, not for cats. Any images of tuxedo cats discussing their latest bird-watching session over a cup of tea are, sadly, inaccurate. Instead, the cat cafés contain the original coziness of a regular café, but you can enjoy your hot drinks and scones around the café's resident kitties.
Lady Dinah's cats - all rescues - roam freely around the cafés. Visitors pay a small cover charge, and can interact with the cats if they're willing. In large cities, where many people rent and apartments may have limited outdoor space, it gives patrons the change to get their "kitty fix" when they may not otherwise have the option. The number of visitors at any given time is kept low due to the cover charge, giving the cats a more peaceful environment.
It looks like the United States will have its first cat cafés opening this year, all in California. Already in the process of opening are: The Cat Café in San Diego, Catfe in Los Angeles, and (with my favorite name so far) KitTea in San Francisco.
Are dog cafes next? Or, are cats the better cafe resident?
Most recently, London has opened its first cat café, called Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium, in the fashionable district of Shoreditch. This is the second in the UK. The first, Totnes Cat Café, opened in South Devon in 2013, and is so popular that it operates a reservation system. Lady Dinah's opened last week and is already booked up until June.
If you're wondering what a cat café is, then you should know that it's a café with cats, not for cats. Any images of tuxedo cats discussing their latest bird-watching session over a cup of tea are, sadly, inaccurate. Instead, the cat cafés contain the original coziness of a regular café, but you can enjoy your hot drinks and scones around the café's resident kitties.
Lady Dinah's cats - all rescues - roam freely around the cafés. Visitors pay a small cover charge, and can interact with the cats if they're willing. In large cities, where many people rent and apartments may have limited outdoor space, it gives patrons the change to get their "kitty fix" when they may not otherwise have the option. The number of visitors at any given time is kept low due to the cover charge, giving the cats a more peaceful environment.
It looks like the United States will have its first cat cafés opening this year, all in California. Already in the process of opening are: The Cat Café in San Diego, Catfe in Los Angeles, and (with my favorite name so far) KitTea in San Francisco.
Are dog cafes next? Or, are cats the better cafe resident?
Photo by Natalie Dulex