Attention people of Manchester! If you’ve looked at Bristol’s cat pub or London’s “cat emporium” with envious eyes, we have some brilliant news.
A cat café is set to open in Manchester later this month, where you’ll be able to enjoy a coffee with not one, but 10 furry friends.
Visitors will be given a time card upon arrival at Cat Café Manchester and will be charged £1 for every five minutes they spend at the venue.
All hot and cold drinks, plus time with the cats, will be unlimited and included within the price.
The aim of the café is to bring a sense of calm to customers who live and work in the busy city.
“City residents across the globe have busy and stressful lives,” the website says.
“Many of us live alone in high rise blocks of flats and apartments without enough time to catch up with friends and family never mind look after a pet.
“And even if we did have time for a pet, we wouldn’t be allowed. Because landlords say no. Today urbanites work all the hours under the sun and forget to eat.”
The people behind the café believe that chilling out with the kitties will not only be fun for customers, but may also improve their mental health.
“Mental health problems are rising and the NHS doesn’t seem to know what to do. One in four people are anxious, or depressed, or tired, or are harbouring some sort of personality disorder,” they say.
“Cats transcend stress. They beat us at day-to-day living. When it comes to living in the moment, to being present, cats win. Cats equal therapy. Stroking a cat reduces your heart rate and your blood pressure. Cats are good for us.”
The café will also host cat yoga classes, group mindfulness sessions and a cat speed dating event every week.
While customer wellbeing is a central focus of the business, the owners say the welfare of the cats is the most important thing.
“We have taken great care to make sure there are measures in place to protect their happiness and wellbeing,” the site says.
“Customers are asked not to wake a cat if it is sleeping, not to pick cats up, and not to take photographs using flash photography. This protects cats from unwanted attention.”
Customers will be welcome to stroke and cuddle the cats, but only when the cats come to them. In other words, everything is on the cats’ terms.
The café will be also be manned 24 hours a day by staff so the kitties will never be left on their own.
An onsite vet will regularly check up on them to see if they need any treatment and ensure they are receiving a nutritious diet.
Cat Café Manchester will be opening on 30 July 2016 to customers over the age of 10 years old.
To book in advance, visit the café’s website.