La Gattara Cat Cafe

Have you heard of the new trend of cat cafes? The first cat café to open in the States was Cat Town in October of 2014 in Oakland California. They have adopted out over 150 cats since their opening! Arizona loves their pets, so it was only a matter of time for one to open here.

LaGattara Cat Café plans to open by the end of 2015 in the Phoenix metro area.

The first cat café was originated in Taiwan in 1988 and quickly spread through Japan due to their small living spaces and inability to have their own cats. Customers can visit and play with the cats all while having a cup of coffee or tea. Coffee and cats, what more could you ask for?

Most cat cafes have about 10-15 cats that live in a designated area of the café, and serve coffee items and baked goods. LaGattara hopes to incorporate a wine bar into their café. The café will be partnering with local shelters, and all the cats will be adoptable. Café owners work with the Heath Department to make sure the cafes are safe for both the cats and the customers.

Owner of LaGattara Cat Café, Melissa Pruitt, explains her interest in this concept. “The love for cats is in my blood. My dad who was a police chief in Illinois was honored for his dedication of animal rights and welfare. He kept cat food in his squad car and feed all the alley cats. He tried to find homes for the as many as he could and now his passion lives through me. I have dedicated my life to the education and rescuing of cats, and my wish is to have a safe place for people and cats to have nothing but peace love and meow!”

Pruitt visited and met with the owner of Cat Town in Oakland California and is also a member of The North American Cat Café Embassy. LaGattara is currently working the details of the café, and will have a fundraising campaign in Mid September