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Owner and veterinarian, Dr Kim Kendall, told Inside Retail PREMIUM the difference between Café Purrfection and other cat cafés is that it’s the first cat café in the world to have trained temperament selected cats.
“We have picked cats who love people and with the routine we provide and the regular interactions I think they will be happier at the cafe,” said Kendall.
A visit to the cafe costs $20 for up to an hour, but after an initial trial, Kendall has found the cats are happier with 20 minute intervals. Patrons are welcome to unlimited free Nespresso coffees, which they make themselves, and can bring their own food.
“The variation on a theme I’ve done is that these cats are trained to walk on a harness − it means that we can control what they’re doing. The cats are trained to sit on a cushion, and they look forward to people coming in, because when they get their harness on and sit on their cushion they know that they’re going to get some treats,” she said.
The word café in Café Purrfection is used fairly loosely, in that it’s not a typical café environment and more of a therapeutic place for cat lovers to come and hang out together, sharing their love of cats.
“Because the restrictions on food health and safety are so terrible, all we can guarantee in the food department is that you will have cat hair in your coffee, and I think people miss that.
“I think it will make people feel good about liking cats, because people are a bit secretive about it, so here they can come and be with other people who like cats and these cats like to be with people.”
Café Purrfection is home to seven rescue cats, all owned by Kendall and will remain in the café for a couple of years before being adopted out to new homes.
“The key is that adult cats want to see the same cats all the time, the most disturbing thing is to bring in new cats, so that’s why we’re not homing them out right away, that’s why they’re my cats.”
Kendall is fairly tongue in cheek with the concept and is considering introducing souvenir lockets or bracelets with a piece of cat hair inside for people to take home with them. “Goodness knows the cats are never short of hair to shed,” she said.
This story first appeared in Inside Retail PREMIUM issue 2046. To subscribe, click here.
