A couple of months ago, I saw signs of a new cat cafe opening up in London in Shoreditch, off Rivington Street. Lady Dinah's Cat Cafe already made news for being London's first cat cafe, and I was one of the first to visit it last March, covered in my post here and later on covered here. London Cat Village, London's newest cat cafe, opened up earlier this summer. The cafe is home to eighteen cats, but four of these are kittens and kept in a cage so that visitors can see them but not handle them. (Handling kittens and constant human contact is not great for kittens and it can give their eyes infections; I know this from growing up with many kittens and cats on the farm). The other fourteen cats are a mixture of breeds and ages from kittens to young cats. All of them seemed pretty social and wanted to see guests and play at some point.
The owner of London Cat Village started this venue because he was feeling depressed and cats helped him to feel better. He wanted others to benefit from the experience that cats gave to him as not everyone is allowed to own or keep a cat in London due to renting regulations. The benefit of cats to help relieve stress and depression is well-known and accepted. Cats are fascinating creatures.
In addition to cats, the cafe serves a selection of drinks and cakes. I had spent time walking around east London, so I looked forward to a tea and slice of Victoria Sponge. One sneaky little young cat named Ollie kept trying to steal the cream.
At one point, the cats were fed, and they went crazy. There were about eight cats that dashed here to get the food. Pity too many legs were in the way, hiding some of the cats.
My favourite was this long-haired tabbey, which I thought was a Maine Coon but it's actually another breed. Notice the grey kitten's head popping out behind the wooden panel.
Ollie was the most curious of the bunch, and he liked to try to steal human food. I had to guard my food from him. He also loved to play. He was very fond of my camera lens cap, which dangles.
He got up and personal. These are such lovely and cute cats, and they loved the attention. I was surprised that they had so much energy as cats generally love to sleep.
What a handsome kitten, and look at those stripes!
Spending fourty-five minutes with the cats, and I wanted to take them all home. I miss the cat that I used to have. Note that I could have spent an hour. Bookings are hourly slots, and they cost £5.00 per hour. There are house rules, such as not to pick up the cats, and those who enter must remove their shoes. Slippers are provided if you do not wish to walk around in your socks.
London Cat Village also show films with cats every Wednesday evening, and cats usually feature in the film shown.
London Cat Village cat cafe is located on Rivington Street. It is open every day from 10:00am to 10:00pm except for Friday when it closes. For more information and to book a session with the cats, visit http://www.londoncatvillage.com/
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