What would you think about having a cat with your coffee? Fear not, cat lovers, I don't mean to eat. If you would like some cat company and live in Austria, Vienna's newest coffee house is the place to be. The cat cafes are meant to be appealing for those Austrians who cannot have pets in their apartments but like to pet cats. You can buy time with the cats and many visitors find their presence calming and enjoyable.
Six cats roam freely in Cafe Neko (Cafe Cat) on Blumenstockgasse in Vienna, ready to be stroked and cuddled - and when they are tired or bored of all the attention, they can disappear into their own space or climb high above the tables, out of reach of the guests. The cats are called Luca, Nori, Sonja, Thomas, Moritz and Momo and have all been homed from a local cat shelter and are free to roam the cafe, get fussed and take regular naps. Sounds a great life.
The owner Alexander Thuer told the Austria Press Agency that the idea was to combine coffee with pussycats and it came from his Japanese wife, Ms Takako Ishimitsu, who says such establishments are common in Asia - but quite rare in Europe. She spent three years negotiating with city officials to be allowed to have the cats on the premises and she says that she felt good doing something extra for the animal shelter that she has been supporting for many years. Alas, not all guests are welcome. Dogs, which have entry to most Viennese coffee houses, have to stay outside Cafe Neko. Woof deal huh?
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| Luca the cat chilling out above the guests. |
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