KickstarterIt's hard to argue that the United States is the best country in the world when we don't have a single cat café. Not one! (That was a joke, please don't try to argue with us about patriotism in the comments.)
But that may be changing: Cat cafés are coming to America! Two locations hope to open in NorCal by the end of 2014 (KitTea in San Francisco and Cat Town Café in Oakland). And now is coming to L.A. too...hopefully!
Carlos Wong, who says he was inspired by the cat cafés in Tokyo, is hoping to open Catfé here in Los Angeles. He's gotten the OK from both the L.A. Department of Public Health and the Department of Animal Services. Now he just needs the money: $350,000 to be exact.
So Carlos turned where everyone turns these days when they have a moderate to great idea and zero capital: Kickstarter. He has one month to raise the funds and is offering rewards including vouchers for free visits or a year's worth of free visits, having a drink named after you, or you naming one of the cats.
"Pet cafés offer a nice alternative. People come in to unwind, get a warm drink and snack, and spend some quality time with their furry friends," Carlos explains in the video. He says that he will work with local shelters to find the kitties and Catfé will help promote adoption.
He has even more grand plans for the café too:
"We want Catfe to be a hub where we can spread the awareness of pet health and safety," he writes on Kickstarter. "Hold adoptions from nearby shelters, have animal therapy sessions with local non-profits that are specifically geared towards children and the elderly, the possibilities truly reach far!"
The money raised will go to permit fees, rent, construction, marketing, merchandising, not to mention the costs associated with the cats' health and well-being. But Carlos promises if they raise $400K, he'll install kitty cams! Yes, please!
(Semi-unrelated: In the video, Carlos also says there are penguin cafés in Tokyo. Um, hell yes, please! We'll take one of those too.)