Kitty and coffee lovers rejoice, a cat cafe may become a permanent fixture in the city.
Little Lions, which would be the city’s first permenant cat sanctuary and coffee shop, launched a Tilt crowdfunding campaign last week. It aims to raise $65,000 to open in a sunlight-filled storefront, possibly downtown.
A cat cafe is exactly what it sounds like: A java shop where patrons pet free-roaming felines. The first opened in 1988 in Taiwan. They are now popular in Japan where cramped apartments make it impractical to own pets, and several have also opened up in Europe.
There was a pop-up version on Bowery last spring, sponsored by Purina One and the North Shore Animal League. It drew scores of people over four days, creating mass appeal for feline adoption.
According to its Tilt page, Little Lions will house 10-20 kitties adopted from its partner Anjellicle Cats Rescue, and also from Animal Care and Control. The site says it needs so much money due to the city’s expensive retail rental prices.
If all goes well, they hope to open next Spring, the site says. For more info or to contribute, visit littlelionsnyc.tilt.com.
