Café hits a purr-fect note with cat lovers

What is a cat cafe and why is there one in Melbourne? One dog lover decided to investigate.

By KATRINA TAUROThe first of its kind in Melbourne, Queen St’s Cat Café has received an overflow of cat lovers every day since it opened in July.

Owner Anita Loughran said she was  thrilled with the positive feedback her small business had received.

After visiting a Cat Café in Japan on their honeymoon, Ms Loughran and her partner realised they were both miserable in their corporate jobs.

“My partner jokingly said that we should start our own cat café, do something that we enjoy doing, and once I started researching I couldn’t stop,” Ms Loughran said.

Even Ms Loughran’s allergies to cats can’t keep her away from them.

“I get weekly injections. If I get too blocked up I take antihistamines. But it hasn’t been a problem so far,” she said.

Cat cafés are hugely popular in Japan and other Asian countries, however this is the first of  in Melbourne.

Of the 13 rescued cats that live at the Cat Café, five are from the Geelong Animal Welfare Society and the rest are from the Lost Dogs' Home in North Melbourne.

“Our guys (cats) have all bonded, they all have great relationships, so it’s pretty great all round. They really love the attention. When we close up at the end of the day, they’re still trying to play with us,” Ms Loughran said.

Some visitors own cats, while some visit because they can't keep pets at home.

“It's either cat lovers that come, or students who can’t have their own pets, people who live in the city center who have small apartments, or landlords who don’t allow them to have pets. It’s like a retreat for cat lovers who can’t own cats,” she said.

The café is open seven days a week, 11 hours a day, with hourly sessions in which you can see the cats. The cost is $10 per hour and bookings are still essential at this stage.

View from the inside

By KATRINA TAURO

I'm a dog lover, so I had mixed emotions about visiting the Cat Café.

On arrival, I was expecting a room full of cats, with furniture covered in cat hair. Fortunately, I was quite wrong.

In my head I pictured the café as a single room with cat toys and a few tables with cats roaming around. Instead I was greeted with a four-bedroom flat decorated with an array of cat toys, couches, tables, and even books on cat-related things.

As I entered, I was greeted with a cute little waiting room filled with cat souvenirs and gifts that you can buy, as well as food and beverages.

Unlike its French equivalent, Le Café des Chats, the food is not fancy. Instead, packet muffins and cakes, chocolates, soft drinks and basic hot beverages are available. I chose to eat mine downstairs, allowing me more time to play with the cats.

There were three or four other groups in the flat with two or three people in each. At first it was rather hushed, as all of us were curious about what we should do next.

One by one, we sat down beside the cats, working up the courage to pet them and play with them. For someone who isn’t the biggest fan of felines, I was quite enjoying myself.

The cats seemed quite tired, but I imagine being on demand for 11 hours a day would do that to you. Some of the cats got up and retreated to their own room – a space restricted to animals only – when they got sick of the attention. I quite liked that they had that option.

Most of the guests I spoke with came out of curiosity.  One couple were there because because their life abroad had separated them from their cats back home.

Despite not having any cats of my own, I can definitely see the therapeutic side of visiting a cat café. There is definitely something relaxing about being around these animals.

I left feeling good about myself, and the bond I had created with the cats, if only for an hour. I would recommend the café to cat lovers in particular, but really, to anyone who is feeling stressed out and needs a place to unwind.