London Cat Café: Customers to Enjoy Coffee and Cat Cuddles

As a six-year veteran of New York, I’m constantly amazed by the city’s perpetual novelty and hidden gems - speakeasy cocktail lounges, elevated park walkways and outdoor movie nights to name a few. But I have to hand it to London for offering their bustling city-dwellers a unique and comfortable reprieve from the rainy streets. Entrepeneur Lauren Pears will be opening London’s first ever Cat Café – where customers will be able to stroke and play with 15 roaming rescue cats as they enjoy their coffees.

Being an avid and loyal dog lover, I’m inclined to think this plan is a hairy disaster in the making. Surely these evil feline demons will despise, hiss at or snobbily ignore the constant stream of caffeine fueled strangers. What possible dangers could a bunch of high speed felines pose in a room full of hot drinks? How will the employees keep them from running out to the streets and bringing back a bloody trophy rat?

I’d personally love to see this idea evolve into the cultural mainstream – perhaps including a variety of more exotic animals. We could create the city’s first chimpanzee filled reading room! A candy store filled with puppies! Who wouuldn’t want to share a swimming pool with abandoned goldfish and turtles? The possibilities are endless, and Ace Ventura would certainly be proud of the direction we’re moving in.

It seems that Americans are already taking a liking to the idea, with a Florida man recently getting arrested for insisting a strip club allow his cat entry. I may be an outdated grinch, who can't see the value of new feline trends - but I have to wonder, is this really the face you want staring back at you while you refuel in the morning?