Diamonds in the Ruff: The World of Cat Cafes

The World of Cat Cafes

Have you ever heard of a cat cafe? Well, they are growing in popularity in the states. The idea of a cat cafe is a cross between an adoption center and a coffee shop. Customers can either make reservations or walk-in, order a cup of coffee or tea, enjoy a sandwich or pastry all while hanging out with a lineup of adoptable cats. This whole trend began in Japan, where you can find more than a hundred similar setups including "rabbit cafes" and at least one "goat cafe."

There is a possibility there will be one opening up near you. Cat-loving entrepreneurs are anxiously putting deals together with adoption centers and vendors, raising funds, and coaxing health inspectors in hopes of opening up a feline-friendly restaurant of their own.

Cat Town Cafe

One particular cat cafe opened its doors in 2014 in Oakland, California and was the first of its kind. Cat Town Cafe founders Adam Myatt and Ann Dunn told Mashable they have been amazed by the amount of attention the cafe has gotten in just the first week of opening. Reservations for opening weekend were completely booked up two weeks in advance, and the second and third weekends filled up shortly after. There are other businesses with the same idea opening in San Francisco (KitTea), Portland (Purringtons), Los Angeles (Catfe), Denver, (Catco) San Diego and Seattle (Meowtropolitan).

Cat Town Cafe is split into two separate spaces: one is a food preparation area and counter where patrons can order coffee, tea, sandwiches or pastries before entering an elaborate play area. The play area is complete with cat-sized replicas of city icons and murals featuring famous cats of pop culture. The lounge area allows a limited number of customers to interact with six to 12 cats at a time, who have the option of slipping away to a cats-only area if the adoration gets overwhelming.

Now while the pair did not know each other very well before they began their new adventure, it did not stop them from raising money through an Indiegogo campaign and Pet Food Express, not to mention private donations and grants. Myatt said they were able to work with regulators to ensure the operation was fit for health codes.

On a Mission

The whole idea is to find forever homes for the cats that are least likely to get adopted in a shelter environment, often because they are "extremely shy, sick or old," Dunn said. She continued to say that more people are inclined to adopting a cat in setting like the cat cafe where it is an all-around good environment; whereas a shelter can seem sad and depressing. You can visit with the cats in a playful setting. "Sometimes I think it's a lot to put the cats through, but if it means they will be adopted more quickly, then it seems worth doing," Dunn said. "If we were just opening an adoption center, people would have been like, 'so what?’”

Myatt warned any aspiring cat cafe proprietors that the business model is not for the faint of heart. "People don't realize that running a cafe is hard and takes a shit ton of work...and then there's cats," Myatt said. "It's like running two crazy businesses that take a lot of time and attention."

Two Crazy Cat Lovers

Before coming together, pair hardly knew each other and just had the casual conversation at a local coffee shop. The two had more in common than they thought. Dunn founded a non-profit rescue organization called Cat Town that places cats in foster homes, and Myatt, also known as the "Cat Man of West Oakland" for his wildly popular cat photography, had just returned from a trip to Japan, where he was fascinated by the country's "crazy cat culture."

"I've always been an animal person — not necessarily just a cat person — but cats seem to be the dominating force in my life right now," Myatt said. "If that's what the universe has got for me then I'll go with that."