NEED to take a paws in your day? London’s first cat cafe might be right up
your street.
At Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium, in Shoreditch, east London, customers can make
friends with its kitties – Mue, Adamska, Artemis, Donnie, Biscuit,
Carbonelle, Indiana, Petra, Loki, Romeo and Wookie.
JENNY FRANCIS visited to see if cats can make the purrfect coffee
companion.
APPROACHING Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium, I see a crowd of excited people
gathered outside, cooing at the cats perched in the window.
It is certainly an attention grabber and customers rush to take snaps on their
phone.
The cafe, already fully booked until July, took 3,000 bookings in the first
four-and-a-half hours of opening.
Furnished with large sofas and antique tables, the cafe serves my tea, of
course, in a cat-shaped teapot – the icing on the cake.
Within minutes of sitting down I’m greeted by ginger tomcat Romeo. Jumping up
on to the seat next to me he loves the attention I give and hangs out with
me for ten minutes before going in search of another customer.
Before I can finish my cake, female cat Mue makes her way over, followed by
black kitten Loki who takes a seat on my lap and settles down for an
afternoon nap.
The 11 resident cats – all donated by people leaving the country – are
friendly and relaxed about the comings and goings of guests.
Lauren Pears, founder of Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium – named after the cat in
Alice In Wonderland – says the moggies are well behaved.
Lauren, 31, from Isle of Dogs, east London, says: “We’re very lucky, they all
get along and are settled here. Cats
are sociable animals and love attention but if they don’t feel like making
friends they’ll nap in the corner.”
Cat cafes originated in Japan ten years ago and it was when on a trip to Tokyo
in 2012 that Lauren decided to bring a version to the UK.
Lauren, who raised more than £109,000 through a crowd-funding campaign, says:
“They were really popular over there and I thought cat lovers back in the UK
would love the idea too.
“A lot of people in cities can’t have cats because the live in small flats.
The cafe gives them the chance to enjoy the company of cats
while they relax with friends.”
Each guest is allocated a two-hour slot at the cafe costing £5 and they are
free to stroke the cats – but picking them up is not allowed.
Guests are asked to wash their hands after touching the felines but Lauren
insists the cats are well trained at using the hidden litter trays.
I spoke to sisters Hannah 18, and Charlotte Burns, 22, students from Rayne,
Essex, visiting the cafe to celebrate Hannah’s birthday.
Hannah says: “I love cats and cake, so what’s better than this? It’s much more
exciting than a normal coffee shop. We’d love to come back.”
Despite the fact there are cats roaming around, the cafe isn’t pandemonium and
I am rather sad when my two-hour slot comes to an end.
Before I leave I follow my favourite moggies, Romeo and Mue, on Twitter – each
cat has its own handle – to keep up with their antics.
It is not your normal cafe experience but it is definitely different.