It’s going to be a meow-y Christmas for Vancouver’s cat lovers, as the highly anticipated Catfé opens for business on Monday, December 14.
A nearly two-year-long labour of love, the city’s first cat café is the result of a lot of perseverance and the help of crowdfunders who pledged their bucks to make the project a reality.
Among the hurdles for Catfé owner Michelle Furbacher was grappling with Vancouver’s health regulations, and getting all the right permits in place for a café that mixes felines with food and drink.
The Catfé concept is based on the popular Japanese cafés where people can commune with cats while enjoying snacks, books, and wifi access. Vancouver’s Catfé is targeted at those whose leases don’t permit pets, current crazy cat ladies and lads who can’t get enough feline time, and those looking for the beneficial de-stressing cats can provide.
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Other cat cafés can be found in Paris, and just on the other side of the border, Seattle’s Meowtropolitan is set to open soon, too.
Construction at Vancouver’s Catfé got underway this summer, though Furbacher had initially been aiming for an October open.
Furbacher also explains how the cat program will work:
Our cats will come from the BC SPCA, and Catfe will act as a centre for support and awareness for animal rescues and charities all over British Columbia. Each month we will donate a percentage of our profits to a different charity, and help shine a spotlight on the important work that they do.
Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association (VOKRA) will be one of the beneficiaries; Furbacher has enjoyed a long relationship with the organization.
Furbacher says on the Catfé Facebook page that lucky crowdfunders will get a sneak peek later this week. Looks like customers can expect to find cat-themed gifts, a cool neon cat on the wall, real life cats, and lots of cat puns at Vancouver’s Catfé.
Catfé
Address: 88 West Pender Street, Suite 2035
Twitter: @catfe_vancouver
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article included outdated information regarding VOKRA’s participation in Catfé.
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