As SXSW Beckons, Cat Café Ambitions Are finally Realized

Years in the past, I heard about this little business in Tokyo: a café for cat individuals who for whatever reason couldn’t have their own pussycat. It used to be called a “cat café.”

I knew this used to be a super idea and notion to myself that I wanted to open a cat café in San Francisco, a place definitely full of condominium dwellers with cruel landlords who didn’t care that they were ravenous for some kitty lovin’.

Flash ahead, of course, to the explosion of cat cafés in cities like San Francisco, ny, Paris, and elsewhere. how many of them do I own? Zero.

yet even as cat cafés popped up in all these places, I never managed to prevent in at any of them. Disclaimer: i’ve two cats, so in all probability a visit was once a little less pressing for me. nonetheless, I’m one of the vital world’s main cat people, and i’m all the time chuffed to fulfill a new one, or two, or three.

today, in Austin, getting myself prepared for SXSW, I at last acquired a chance to comprehend my cat café ambitions. only some blocks from the place I’m staying, the Blue Cat Café opened for trade remaining October. I’m guessing they’re going to be overrun this week, once everyone hits town. I was fortunate to drop with the aid of when things have been nonetheless somewhat peaceful.

In California, smart-enough ideas mandate that cat cafés wish to keep the tom cats and the food/drink in separate areas. well being codes. What are you able to do. Frankly, though, that may well be one of the reasons I by no means visited: It roughly breaks the spell if it’s important to drink your espresso after which go play with the cats. That’s roughly silly.

however here in Austin, cats and provisions are intermingled, and everybody seemed satisfied. after I arrived on the Blue Cat Café, I actually had to signal a waiver ahead of they let me in. It began, “As a client of the Blue Cat Café, I select to be surrounded by using cats, possibly contact them…I do this although (or as a result of) I realize cats are mischievous.”

It goes on, after all, with a lot of bits about agreeing chances are you’ll get bitten or clawed. I imply, hi there, these are cats, in any case.

Let’s be trustworthy, although. You had me at “As a purchaser of the Blue Cat Café, I make a choice to be surrounded by way of cats, possibly contact them…” Hells yeah, I’ll signal that waiver.

Like many cat cafés, this one hosts native adoptable kitties and former strays, and the goal—in addition to selling espresso—is to find new houses for the cats.

That’s any such nice and noble purpose and, in many ways, stands in stark contrast to the Cats As advertising and marketing phenomenon that pervaded SXSW closing 12 months. genuine, a few of the cats (and canine) that have been trotted out closing year to promote various brands—I received’t do them the desire of naming them here—were additionally supposed to advertise more than a few pet shelters. but I felt like that message used to be lost as cats like Morris—neatly, at least a cat named Morris—hawked cat meals to the SXSW plenty.

right here on the Blue Cat Café, though, it used to be only some individuals sitting round, in a well mannered way enjoying a coffee or tea in an effort to fulfill their real explanation for coming: Petting the cats.

for the time being, the location is dwelling to thirteen cats. at the least one likes to gnaw to your knuckles, but actually, she was once a sweetie. It’s bought neat little issues like an old iMac that’s been hollowed out with slightly cushion for cat drowsing.

The pussycats jumped on tables and bought their heads scratched. They flopped on the ground and invited patrons to return over and pet their bellies. They wandered in and out of little passageways hidden within the walls, and so they chilled out. One seemed like it really, really wanted to assert hello to a brand new friend, however sleep beckoned as an alternative.

It’s good to grasp these places are proliferating. persons are calmer after they’re round cats, i feel, and so the power level on the Blue Cat Café was once very quiet and relaxing. It’s arduous to imagine what it could be like if it were a canine café.

in case you’re in Austin this week—or any week, actually—and you want to hear some contented purring whilst you revel in an Earl gray, i like to recommend you take a look at the location out.