The rise of cat cafes

Be warned, felines are taking over. And they’ve trained their gaze on cafes

Feb 27, 2015, 06:51 IST3 min

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Neko in ViennaAfter three years of negotiations with city officials over hygiene issues, Austria opened its first cat cafe in 2012. Cafe Neko&mdashNeko means cat in Japanese&mdashwas opened...

Image by Leonhard Foeger / Reuters

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Feline magic in Hong KongLong working hours, cramped apartments, and buildings with no-pet rules make it difficult for Hong Kong residents to keep cats. Those looking for their daily caffei...

Image by Getty Images

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Tea, scones and cats in LondonWhen Lauren Pears opened Lady Dinah&rsquos Cat Emporium in March 2014, she was overwhelmed by the response tables were booked right up to June. Within the firs...

Image by Stefan Wermuth / Reuters

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Croissants and curious cats in ParisA cat stands on a table to the amusement of Parisians at the Le Café des Chats in Paris. There are at least a dozen cats in the cafe, which opened its do...

Image by Getty Images

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They&rsquove invaded SingaporeThe cat cafe in Singapore opened in December 2013, and is a labour of love. Its owners want to educate the public about cats and have made the cafe home to 13 ...

Image by Corbis

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And Turin, tooA dog is given the cold shoulder by a cat in Italy&rsquos first feline friendly cafe, MiaGola Caffè (Cafe Meow), which opened in Turin in March 2014. It&rsquos a place where c...

Image by Getty Images

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From Russia, with a purrDyushes, a don sphynx cat, stretches on a regal armchair at the Cats Republic Art Cafe in St Petersburg, Russia, which started out as a branch of the Vsevolozhsk Cat...

Image by Alexander / Reuters

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Blame the cat invasion on JapanThe culture of cat cafes has roots in Taiwan and Japan. A traditional Japanese cat cafe selects pure and rare breeds known for their friendly disposition. Res...

Image by Junko Kimura / Getty Images