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Los Angeles' First Cat Cafe Will Open This Fall On Melrose
It's official: Los Angeles is finally getting its very first, permanent cat cafe. If you love hanging out with cats as much as I do (impossible), then you'll be very excited to learn that D.C.-based cat cafe Crumbs & Whiskers is coming to Los Angeles. They've secured 7924 Melrose Avenue, just west of Fairfax, as the location, and plan to open sometime in the fall of this year.
Animals cafes are particularly popular in other parts of the world. They allow guests to buy a coffee or latte and then socialize with cats, dogs, rabbits or even owls. Los Angeles already has a Dog Cafe and there have been efforts to get a cat cafe up and running for a while now. We've even seen a few pop-ups. Now, it's finally happening.
Crumbs & Whiskers founder and Cat Lady In Chief Kanchan Singh tells LAist that she was inspired to start her own cat cafe in the U.S. while on a trip to Thailand about two years ago.
"The short version is, I was traveling in Thailand and had met these people on the road who saw that I was sharing every meal with stray dogs and cats," Signh says. "They picked up that I really loved animals, and so on my last day in Thailand, which was also my 24th birthday, they decided to take me to a cat cafe. I didn't know what it was, and I went in there, and I remember thinking, 'This is amazing, why have I never heard of this before?' I told [my friends] that I was going to go home, quit my job, and start a cat cafe. And then I actually did it."
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About a year later, Singh opened in Crumbs & Whiskers in D.C. Signh plans to move to Los Angeles to help the West Coast outpost get off the ground.
If you've visited the Dog Cafe, then you know that you enter the cafe side, get your beverage, and then enter a completely separate area to play with the dogs and puppies. This is because the L.A. Health Department requires the animals not be in the same room where food is prepared.
At Crumbs & Whiskers, they will partner with a nearby cafe. Guests will be able to order from a menu, and then a runner will go retrieve the items and bring them back to the cat cafe. Singh says they're not sure yet who that partner will be, but to expect typical coffee shop fare including coffee, lattes, "cattucinos," chai, teas and some sweets. They won't serve any savory dishes as the cats would be inclined to steal a bite, however, they will sell a limited amount of cat treats to guests who want some help gathering up a group of furry friends.
Singh says to expect 15-20 cats at the cafe at a time. The cats will come from local shelters and will be available for adoption. While the house cats will be about nine months old or older, as that's when Singh says a cat's immune system is fully developed, they will occasionally throw kitten parties. Those are exactly what they sound like: a bunch of adoptable kittens, as well as cupcakes and other treats. If all goes well, Singh hopes to launch L.A.'s Crumbs & Whiskers with such a party.
Though pricing may vary in L.A., the D.C. cafe sells 75 minutes of cat time for $15, so expect prices here to be somewhat similar. And as for the decor, Singh says to imagine cat lady chic, "like your really cool girlfriend who is really into cat's apartment."
If you can't wait that long for your kitty fix, CatCon LA is June 25 and 26, and will feature meet and greets with Catwoman actress Julie Newmar and celebrity felines Lil Bub, Pudge and Nala Cat, as well as lots of adoptable cats and cat merchandise, an escape room, a Kat Von D Beauty Bar and a Caticure salon, among other activities.
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