Not surprising that cat cafés are so popular. The first cat café opened in 1998 in Taiwan. In 2005 the concept of cat cafés was introduced in Japan and quickly gained popularity everywhere in the world. In October 2014 Oakland, CA opened the first cat café in the United States. Currently there are over 200 cat cafés in the United States. We are the world’s leading country for cat cafés.
We are a nation of cat lovers!!
Locally, we are fortunate to have two cat cafes:
Rescued Treasures Cat Café (Sponsored by PAL)
4155 N Rancho Dr #150, Las Vegas NV 89130
www.palnv.org
Hearts Alive Village Cat Café
1750 S. Rainbow Blvd #4, Las Vegas, NV 89146
www.heartsalivevillage.org/cat-cafe
We visited both of them to have a personal “cat café” experience. Seeing the smiles on the faces of everyone as they interacted with the cats was priceless. We thoroughly enjoyed our visits. It was a privilege to spend time with cats of all ages, color patterns, and personalities. A few were totally unfazed by visitors; they greeted us with confidence. They strutted with their tails held high, and climbed, jumped and performed for their audience. One young cat captivated a small audience with his pounce, capture and play moves. With perfect precision he pounced and caught his prey. Proudly he attempted to carry it through the cat tunnel about 3 times but each time it escaped. Finally, the tunnel became the focus as it energetically ran through the tunnel, jumped on the tunnel and also played peak a boo with us. Many cats, however, were initially cautious. They watched from a safe distance before slowly coming to check us out. One cat in particular approached me slowly. I remained calm and let it come to me. He sniffed my hand, settled himself beside me and we sat together for a while. It was a special moment; a meaningful connection was made.
There are many reasons to visit a cat café!
➥ You love cats but something in your current situation prevents you from having a cat. It could be housing, family member, roommate with allergies, finances, or work. For an hour you can immerse yourself in the cat world, a time and place to enjoy playing and being with lots of cats.
➥ Another scenario is that your life is stressful and cat therapy is desperately needed. For a reasonable fee you can enjoy a cup of
coffee, a snack and the calming therapeutic presence of cats.
➥ Perhaps you’re considering adopting your first cat and are unsure about being a cat mom or dad. Or perhaps you’re considering adopting a cat and want to spend time getting acquainted with a cat you hope to adopt.
➥ Many people visit a cat café to enjoy being with the cats and to support the work of the rescue. Cat cafes help support cat rescues in many ways. Christy Stevens, Executive Director at Hearts Alive Village, shared the following: The Cat Cafe has transformed our feline life-saving program. Not only does it give the community a comfortable place to engage with happy and free roaming felines, it has dramatically increased our adoptions, and has proven to be a successful business model that helps financially sustain the program.
➥ Most importantly, do it for the cats! Visit a cat café to be with the cats and to help them become comfortable being around people. Cat café visits provide safe and fun experiences for cats and people. They’re designed to meet the needs of cats. The space provides cat towers, cat cubes and boxes, tunnels and toys. It’s the perfect setting for spending quality time with a few cats. Positive experiences with people play an important part in encouraging cats to interact with people. As Katherine Schlintz, PAL Founder & President/CEO, shared with us: The Rescued Treasures Cat Café has really opened up exposure for PALnv. The café allows visitors to see what we’re doing and how important it is. Whether you’re looking to adopt or just hang out and relax, an hour spent with cats is never wasted!