A new cafe has opened in Kelowna — but this one offers a lot more than just coffee and baked goods.
“This is a place where you can come and hang out with rescued and adoptable cats,” said cafe owner Ashley Karnes.
Called Catelowna, the cat cafe is just the fourth in all of B.C.
“There are two in Vancouver and then there’s one on Vancouver Island,” Karnes told Global News.
The cafe is a dream come true for Karnes, who combined her passion for animals and cooking.
“As a cook, I was just trying to work out how I could work with animals,” said Karnes.
“And so the light bulb moment went off and I thought ‘Well, I’ll just have a cafe next to an adoption center.'”
Years in the making, the downtown cafe officially opened on Thursday, and Hanna Hamaguchi was the cafe’s first customer.
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“Everything is so cute, there are so many scratching posts, all these shelves on the wall,” she said.
Hamaguchi said she wanted to experience the cat cafe in part because her cat doesn’t get along with other felines.
“I get to interact with more cats, so exciting,” she said.
The cat room features climbing structures, suspension-like cat bridges and plenty of perching spots.
“We designed the place so that it could be the ultimate cat playground,” Karnes said. “So they could run, jump and have lots of places to hide.”
Located on Ellis Street, Catelowna currently has 30 cats that have come from a number of animal rescue organizations.
Customers can come in and enjoy a cup of coffee while enjoying the company of cats.
They can also adopt them.
“Whether you just want to come and have a coffee and hang out with some furry friends or whether you’re looking for a new family member and you’re actually actively looking to adopt one of these beautiful kitties, then you can come here, check us out and come and experience them,” said Karnes.
Karnes said the cafe is also designed for people who love cats but can’t have them.
“What if your partner is allergic or you live in a condominium or apartment complex where you’re not allowed to have pets? You can come and still enjoy the company of cats,” she said.
Catelowna had to get special approval from Interior Health regarding health and safety rules, such as keeping cats and their hair away from food preparation areas.
Karnes said they keep them separate with a set of double doors.
Catelowna takes walk-ins, but you can make reservations to avoid disappointment in the event of a busy day.
It costs $16 to spend an hour with the cats.
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