A new global craze is coming to Toronto, a hangout for both feline and friend, cat and customer. Whether you’re sipping on a warm saucer of milk or a steaming hot latte, these new cat cafés in the city are bound to raise some eyebrows (and whiskers) as well as assist homeless cat populations (many of the cats are available for adoption). Patrons will have their pick of venue and locale, with two kitty cafés slated to open this fall. With a hip, high-energy hangout in one corner and a laid back lounge to curl up with a kitty in the other, Pet Me Meow and Kitty Cat Cafe have it covered. Dynamic duo Jeff Ro and Ashkan Rahimi, the budding entrepreneurs behind Pet Me Meow, are hoping to appeal to a younger audience. Ideally, the two want visitors to be able to sit back, panini or latte in hand, listen to some live tunes, and even enjoy a video game or two — all with the pitter-patter of paws in the background.
Jennifer Morozowich, of Kitty Cat Cafe, has a slightly different approach and is hoping to create a relaxing feel where individuals and families have the opportunity to really bond with a kitty before taking it home.
No stranger to the reality of cat homelessness and euthanization, all three have had their hands in various animal welfare projects and are ultimately hoping to alleviate some of the burden that so many of Toronto’s animal shelters face. Both businesses are relying on either Toronto Cat Rescue or T.E.A.M. Cat Rescue to facilitate and oversee the adoption process.
“Let’s be serious with this issue, but at the same time, let’s have fun with it,” says Ro. Last month, Pet Me Meow held a pop-up café at the RedFish BlueFish Creative Café in the Annex. They sold more than 300 tickets in just over 48 hours — nine out of 12 kittens were adopted that weekend.
So clearly Toronto is ready for cat cafés. And Jennifer Morozowich certainly agrees. In fact, she foresees a huge cat café following.
“We’re just the pioneers in Toronto,” says Morozowich, “but it won’t be just the two of us for very much longer. There will be more.”
