Cuddle with Kittens at a Cat Café

It would be an overstatement to say that cat cafés have taken over New York City, but there are a surprising number of places to hang out with some cats in public. We decided to try out Koneko, which sounded the most true to Japanese origins of the group-cat-hangout, and also serves wine. We were really excited to drink and play with some soft, energetic kittens! But after a few minutes, we remembered that kittens, however cute, aren’t puppies. Cats like to sit quietly and when you try to pet them hiss loudly, or even bite. For this reason, you’re not allowed to pick the cats up. The facility was very zen and had a nice outdoor space, and the staff was really friendly and eager to explain every cat’s name and personality quirks. But mostly we sat a few feet away from a cat named Lionel, waving feathery and sparkly toys in his face while being thoroughly ignored. One cat was infinitely more interested in a space heater than our attempts to cuddle. We finished our wine. Maybe that’s what it’s like to have a cat? We’re dog people.

Koneko is located at 26 Clinton St., New York, NY, and open from 9am-10pm everyday except Tuesday.