Finally there is the perfect place for cat lovers: cat cafés! If you’re picturing comfy couches, delicious pastries, and hot coffees while cats purr all around you, then you’re totally correct.
The first cat café opened in Taiwan in 1998, but the popularity of these cafés kicked off in Japan.
Many Japanese residents live in small apartments or condos where pets aren’t allowed. Cat cafés turned out to be the perfect place for people who were missing pet companionship.
Can you resist the cuteness of a cat?
American cat cafés are slightly different than those in other countries because they focus more on adoptions. Hundreds of cats have been adopted thanks to these coffee shops. After all, who can resist the cuteness of cats lounging in the sun – not to mention their crazy antics?
A cat café in Orlando, Florida.
So how exactly does a cat café work? There is an entrance fee that varies from café to café, for example: $8/hour in Orlando vs. $6/half an hour in New York City.
Sometimes walk-ins are available. Typically there is an age limit of 8 or 10 years or older. All cafes have a reservation service on their website, and some locations are so popular that they are booked months in advance.
These cats eagerly await your company.
When you arrive for your playtime with the kitties, head to the coffee room for food or drinks (sometimes a drink is included with the reservation), and then walk through a door that leads into the cat lounge. Health code standards require that the food prep and service area has to be separated from the felines.
The lounge area is filled with cat toys and beds for around 10 – 15 cats who live there until they are adopted.
This is where you get to spend your allotted time cooing and babbling at these furballs. The hard part is to not fall in love with one and bring her home with you – which wouldn’t be a problem if it happens, because all the cats are looking for their forever homes. The cat cafés partner with local animal shelters and are ready to handle adoptions on-site.
If coffee isn’t your thing, then maybe a yoga class with cats is.
If sipping coffee and nibbling on cookies isn’t your thing, some cafés offer more exciting activities than just lounging with cats. Yoga classes is a common option and some cat cafés offer events like Halloween pumpkin carvings, comedy shows, and drag bingos.
This cat could be yours.
If you’re traveling on the road and in dire need of a cat fix, head online to the nearest cat café and book a reservation. Just don’t be surprised if you end up leaving there with more than a cup of coffee for the road.
