Pop-Up Cat Café: Enjoy a ‘Cattucino’ While Looking For A Furry Feline To Adopt

Where can you find the first cat cafe in America? If you happen to live in New York, just look for a long line of people in Manhattan; chances are it’s outside the cafe for cats which popped up on Thursday.

Cindy Hsu, reporting for CBS 2, said people waiting to enter the Cat Cafe on Bowery Street not only stood in front of the cafe, but also way around the block.

Once they managed to get inside, they were invited to play with the 16 cats which are up for adoption from the North Shore Animal League. There are no cages at this cafe, so the cats are free to stroll around as much as they like.

Christina Travalja, from the Animal League, said “What I think is great is that it’s going to bring awareness to how cats that are rescued and shelter cats are such great pets and how they could bring such joy to people.”

The idea of creating a place where people could easily link up with cats they might wish to adopt would probably have not come to fruition had it not been for the sponsor.

Because one of the objectives of the cat cafe is to create an awareness of feline health issues, Purina ONE signed on as the sponsor of “Cat Chat” sessions with famous cat lovers; they were joined by an array of experts.

Niky Roberts, speaking for Purina ONE, said:

“We’re going to be talking to a veterinarian from Purina, we’re talking to a feline behaviorist, North Shore Animal League will be here talking about how to get your happy, healthy cat acquainted with its new surroundings.”

Not all of the visitors were seeking cats for immediate adoption. For example, Vanessa Gonzalez-Bunster said, “I’m just here to play with the cats because unfortunately I can’t adopt one my roommate is allergic. It’s a great place to still get to see animals and give them love even if I can’t have my own.”

The cafe looks after the needs of the visitors by providing coffee and free snacks; the bonus is that these come with plenty of love from some furry felines.

The Cat Cafe will only be open through Sunday night. However, the North Shore Animal League is open all year round, and they have a huge selection of cats needing homes.

A spokesperson for the League said while there were only 16 cats at the Cat Cafe on opening day, they would bring additional cats, which are available for adoption, over the weekend.