While traveling with dogs has become increasingly common, traveling with cats is decidedly trickier, and many felines must be left behind when cat-fanciers travel.
And while no cat is quite like one's own, Japan—and now London—may have an acceptable alternative: Cat cafes.
At these eateries, patrons pay by the hour to pet cats and snack on light nibbles. And this spring, London may get its first such cafe, to be called Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium. According to ABC News, the new cafe is the brainchild of Lauren Pears, an Australian who reportedly raised $140,000 through crowd funding.
We hear the cats who come to live at the London cat cafe will come from shelters, including the Mayhew Animal Home. “Many cats will soon be adopted and spend their lives in the lap of luxury,” Pears wrote on her blog. “And many Londoners and visitors will soon be relaxing with a mug of hot beverage of choice and a bundle of purring joy.”
The cat cafe concept seems to be spreading, with branches in Vienna and St. Petersburg. Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium hasn’t found a home yet, but a May opening is the goal.