On the next stroke it will be time up: Coffee shop which lets you pay by the hour to pet cats set to open in London

Japanese craze introduced to Britain by Australian entrepreneur

Lauren Pears, 30, raised £100K from public to make dream happen



Roaming animals to come from shelters and will live in 'lap of luxury'

It is a craze which has swept Japan - and now cat cafés are coming to Britain.

The concept, first made popular in Taiwan, allows customers to stroke and play with roaming cats over a coffee.

'It's just like a regular café . It sells coffee, tea, cakes and snacks. The only difference is that it is full of cats,' says entrepreneur Lauren Pears, who is looking for a suitable site for her Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium, which she hopes to have up and running by May.

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Puuurfect: A customer relaxes in a Cat cafe in Chongqing, China, but Londoners may soon be able to do the same if Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium opens

Feline fine: Lauren Pears explains that 'cat welfare is really important to us and we want to choose cats that will be happy in the environment that has lots of people in it'

Paws for thought: Customers at cat cafes can interact with the cats, petting and stroking them, as they eat and drink

The 30-year-old Australian's dream was made possible after she raised £100,000 through crowd-funding website Inidegogo.

Cat cafés took off in Tokyo in the noughties, and Ms Pears says she sees similarities in London due both cities' congested living conditions, people's time constraints and landlords that don't take kindly to tenants owning their own pets.

Ms Pears, who is looking at potential sites in London's Old Street, says she has already found 15 felines to start with, all of which will come from the Mayhew Animal Home in Kensal Green.

Cat cafes have been a massive hit in the east with hundreds now open in China, Japan and Taiwan

Feline Friends: Both cat and customer feel pampered and loved in a cat cafe

Furry nice: As a nation of cat lovers, a cat cafe would allow those who can't own a pet to have contact and play with felines whenever they liked

King of the cafe: The cats would be specially chosen to ensure they enjoy human company, and the cafe would provide a home to cats who don't have one

She said: ‘If something exists you can probably get it in London, but there’s one thing that lots of people living in London can’t have – a kitty.



CAT CAFES - A FAR-EASTERN CRAZE

The world's first cat café opened in Taiwan in 1998 and spread to Japan in 2004, where a branch opened in Osaka.

Tokyo now has at least 39 cat cafés, of which there are many different types. Some specialise in black cats, fat cats, rare breed cats or ex-stray cats.

Japanese cat cafés feature strict rules to ensure cleanliness and animal welfare, in particular seeking to ensure that the cats are not disturbed by excessive and unwanted attention, such as by young children or when sleeping.

One of the first cat cafés in Europe, Cafe Neko, opened in Vienna, Austria, while there is also one in St Petersburg, Russia.



‘We thought long and hard about who would really benefit from having a cat café in London.

'I see commuters walking on their way to and from the station stopping to pet the neighbourhood cats, and since I am unable to own a cat myself due to my current flat and long hours I understand the desire to have a cat around.'

To stop the animals getting stressed, there will be a 'small cover charge' for customers to encourage them to linger over their beverages for a little longer.

Ms Pears said : ‘Cat welfare is really important to us. In particular, we want to make sure we can house cats who don't have a home to go to.

‘We tried to figure out a solution where the cats don’t get too stressed out, which is why we’ve introduced the cover charge.



'That way, people can stay as long as they like without feeling like they’re against the clock, which works for the cats because it takes them a little time to get used to people.’

Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium will have an 'opulent Victorian decor' to help both customers and animals 'relax in the height of luxury'.



Its website explains the concept behind the café: ‘It's not just about being able to play with the cats. It's about the whole experience: a small indulgence, a place to forget about your day and unwind. It's about coming in from the cold to a comfortable wingback chair, a hot cup of tea, a book, and a cat.’



Ms Pears hopes to have the café up and running by May.

VIDEO For people who can't have a cat. Take a 'visit' to the luxury cat-fe!































