Cats are charming animals, capable of stealing anyone's heart. Do you have an ARISTOCAT at home? You don't have one, but you'd love to, and for personal reasons, you can't.
Cat Cafés, also known as Cat Coffee Shops, are meeting places for animal lovers, especially felines. It's a place where you can interact with cats while enjoying a coffee or any other drink. Furthermore, if you'd like to have an ARISTOCAT, you have the opportunity to adopt a new life companion.
The first establishment opened in 1998 in Taiwan, becoming one of the most popular entertainment venues. Since then, it spread through Japan and from there to all of Europe, where there are currently a large number of places around the world where this cat craze is taking place.
In Spain, La Gatoteca, located in Madrid, is the country's first cat café. It opened in 2013. "The idea came from the example of Japan, of what they call neko-café. However, what defines La Gatoteca is the great social impact that has arisen from its work with homeless cats and its dedication to educational, therapeutic, and recreational activities around them," says Alex Aznar, owner of the venue, in an interview by EFEverde.
Cat Café Route in Spain
La Gatoteca (Madrid)
La Gatoteca is an establishment located in Madrid (Argumosa Street) managed by the non-profit association ONG ABRIGA. The goal of its creation was to give visibility to homeless cats, with the hope that interacting with people would encourage adoption.
As they emphasize on their website, it is not necessary to go with the idea of adopting a cat; you can simply go to enjoy the experience and share good moments with the felines.
La Gatoteca has certain rules that must be followed, among which the main one is that you are not allowed to pick up, restrain, or force cats against their will.
Its capacity is very limited, only allowing 20 people at a time, and among them, a maximum of 6 children. Reservations are recommended.
Polineko (Madrid)
Polineko is the physical headquarters of the non-profit association Neko Madrid. It is a cat café designed for cat lovers, where they can meet cats while enjoying an organic drink or herbal tea.
The main objective is to promote responsible and bilateral adoption, allowing for a good prior relationship between animals and people, so that cats have a smooth transition when moving to their new home.
Cat Relax (Alicante)
Cat Relax is an establishment located near the center of Alicante. It is the physical headquarters of the ABAIFA association, which is dedicated to the rescue and integration of felines in Alicante.
The cafe has a homely decoration, where people can go to meet the cats while having a soft drink or enjoying a reading session with the pets. They can go as many times as they want and get to know each other well to start a new life together in a home.
If you wish to visit, it is essential to fill out an application through their website. They implement this control to avoid overwhelming the animals.
Espai de Gats (Barcelona)
Espai de Gats is the first cat café in Barcelona, where you can not only have a coffee or another drink with the cats. They also have a library where you can read books relaxingly with the purring in the background and they have free Wi-Fi.
Furthermore, like the previous ones, their main objective is to facilitate the adoption of adult cats that are in foster homes. Finally, they have a school and events department, where they organize workshops and courses to learn about cat behavior, health, and communication. In general, about cat welfare.
El Passatge dels Gats (Valencia)
El Passatge dels Gats shares a philosophy similar to the others: it aims for people to meet cats and have a good time so they fall in love with their character and encourage responsible adoptions. They collaborate with the animal shelter ADAANA, taking in these stray animals until they can find a new home.
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