Secondhand Newz

I just discovered another business opportunity, but I’ll have to rely on someone else to open it because I don’t need a fourth job.

It’s a cat cafe.

Fellow cat lovers will understand the attraction of being able to cuddle felines while enjoying a beverage (and perhaps a cookie or danish). Some might cringe at the thought of eating in the company of cats, but millions of people do it every day. Enough of them, apparently, that cat cafes are popular in more metropolitan areas.
If it’s any comfort, most U.S. health regulations require that the “cat” be separate from the “cafe.” In all, the food is prepared in the non-cat area, and in some you have the option of moving to the cat area to partake among the felines, or just watching through a window.

While there are none in Arkansas (the only reference I found was to one in Northwest Arkansas that closed in 2020 after four years in business), there reportedly are more than 125 in the United States. The closest is in Branson, so I plan to visit “Mochas and Meows” on my next trip. You pay a cover charge to sit with the kitties. Like others, I noticed reservations are recommended.

One called “Crumbs and Whiskers” opened in 2015. The webpage starts with a solicitation to join the e-mail list with temptations of “Kitten Parties. Free giveaways. Special discounts. Exclusive events.” Kitten parties?!? Sign me up! Except that the locations are Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.

Most cafes work with animal shelters to house adoptable cats, so that if someone falls in love with a feline during a coffee date, they can initiate the adoption process.

Apparently, the cat cafe trend originated in Taiwan in 1998, and the concept blossomed in Japan, where small apartments and condominiums do not allow pets. Cities around the world have cat cafes.

Some businesses have expanded the model to goats and piglets, which might also be popular – but to someone other than myself. I know people who might be interested, and the ones I’m thinking of *cough* Linda *cough* Christi *cough* have the critters to open such a business themselves.

I can see it – “Cakes and Khun Khuns,” “Granola Among Goats,” “Parties with Peacocks” ... outdoor venues, perhaps?

Think about it.