There’s a new trendy hangout that's gaining in popularity. It’s cool. It’s hip. It’s awesome—it’s a cat café! Grab a Cup of Joe and enjoy the company of delightful little kitties!
Cat cafés are a great escape for cat lovers, especially for those who don’t have cats of their own—it's a place to relieve stress and interact with cats while enjoying your favorite cappuccino. Many regular customers form a bond with their favorite coffee shop cats.
Some establishments require a reservation or charge an entrance fee. And some have rules of etiquette outlining how to treat and respect the feline residents.
The unique business model is not new. The first cat café (Cat Flower Garden) opened for business in 1998 in Taipei, Taiwan. It was a popular attraction for locals and Japanese tourists. The clever concept later became widespread in Japan because most apartment residences do not allow pets. There are currently over 100 cat cafés in Japan today.
The cat themed cafés are gaining in popularity and are showing up in cities around the world. In North America, many cat cafés also function as charitable adoption centers. They offer a new and unique way to introduce prospective owners to their future pet. Catfé, a café in Vancouver, Canada encountered a “wonderful problem” 2 months ago; on their blog post on January 4th, they announced:
“Catfé will be closed this week, reopening on Friday, January 8th. Due to the overwhelming success of adoptions in our first few weeks, we have run out of cats!”
Do you have a cat café near you—what do you think of this interesting concept? Please share your thoughts and comment below.
Photo Credit: Pixabay (CC0 Public Domain)