Welcome to the Cat Cafe Lounge in Los Angeles, where guests receive 90 minutes and a complimentary drink from the chic onsite cafe. A typical experience involves guests heading into the lounge where they will be surrounded by 35-40 cats. The cafe has lounge seating and comfy floor cushions so that guests can snuggle with the cats.
"The vibe is chill with no loud music - cats don't like that."
Kristi Labrenz Galvan is the founder of the cafe and her inspiration came after a visit to Tokyo in 2015. The cat cafe in Tokyo was a beautiful space filled with cats and Kristi thought it would be the perfect idea to add an adoption element.
"It would be a win win for everyone, the cats get to life a happy stress-free life while they wait to get adopted vs living in a cage, scared and not showing their true colors. Plus people get an experience to hang out with cats, which is fun, but their visits also provide socializing to the cats which is a huge benefit for the cats, as they learn they can trust people again."
When she came home, Kristi decided to start LA's first non profit cat cafe.
Kristi is an animal advocate, and loves cats. She was very aware that there was not a fun, humane way to adopt a cat and wanted to change that and reinvent the way cats are adopted.
"We are nonprofit - there are only 5 nonprofit cat cafe's in the US, out of 40+ cat cafes. Being nonprofit is very important to us. It sends the message that we are not profiting on the cats. Being that the cat cafe model is to pay to visit, I didn't want to risk people thinking we were profiting from a life or a cat experience. I also wanted people to feel good about spending $25 to visit our kittos. Plus, the contribution is tax-deductible, so guests can write off the donation on their taxes," Kristi explained.
"We work with under-socialized cats and DO NOT cherry pick the most adoptable cats. LA has a ton of large and independent rescues that pull the "adoptable" cats. So by us having only these kinds of cats, we wouldn't be helping the community or the cats lives that need saving. Because of the way our lounge is designed, we take who ever! Our space was designed for cats behavior needs so the shier ones that came from the shelter terrified can take their time acclimating to their new normal on their terms. We provide tons of height so they can be in the room but not be pressured to be touched if they are not ready. It should be on their terms. We have been told over and over by guests that we have the happiest cats in our cafe, so the design of the space and our thoughtful consideration of cats needs is working for them and their adoption success."
The cafe also works with a cat behaviorist, The Cat Counselor. Cristin Coll visits the cats once a week and works with the undersocialized cats, of which they have a small percentage. The cafe has seen great progress on this program and are looking to expand it to volunteers this year. This will help them be able to convert more undersocialized cats into adoptable cats and help those that need the most help saving.
How to visit:
They recommend making a reservation to guarantee entrance because they limit the space to 15 people for the cats safety. But if there's room, they will accept walk-ins. The Cafe is open every day except Tuesday from 11am-8pm. They are located in West Los Angeles, on Sepulveda just south of Santa Monica Blvd. 1736 S Sepulveda Blvd, 90025
How you can help:
Readers can help the cause by visiting, donating funds, or purchasing much needed toys/supplies from their Amazon Wish List, or volunteer - all found on their website.
