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The pop-up Catfe is now open to the public. We went there ourselves and pet a few cats and can confirm that there are several kittens and adult cats for cuddling.
Cat cafes are popular in other parts of the world, with patrons paying a small fee to sit in a room full of cats with a cup of coffee. The experience is a stress-reliever who may not be able to have animals of their own at their apartments. (It's also probably not a horrible Tinder date.)
Carlos Wong is attempting to open a full-time cat cafe in L.A. You can check out his Kickstarter here. In the interim, he's hosting a pop-up cafe with adoptable kitties in the Far East Plaza in Chinatown.
The pop-up goes on from right now until Sunday, October 5. It's open between 4 and 9 p.m., and it's free. If you want to make a reservation, it's $30, and you'll get priority access to enter at the date/time of your reservation. The $30 goes towards the fundraising efforts for the permanent Catfe. If you pay $125, you can get some alone time with cats. (Yes, it sounds like a strip club for cat lovers, too.)
Nextdoor, Pussy & Pooch is hosting a pop-up shop featuring pet products, and they will also be offering an adoption kit to anyone who chooses to take one of the cats home with them. Upstairs, there will be live performances from DJs and the band Lolita Dark. Neighborhood vendors including Starry Kitchen and Scoops Ice Cream will be around in case you work up an appetite from all that cat-petting.
Earlier Wong talked about the possibility of opening in Little Tokyo but he says just like many of the cats, Catfe is looking for its "forever home."
Pop-Up Catfe. Far East Plaza, Plaza, 727 N. Broadway, Chinatown. Oct. 2-5, 4 to 9 p.m. Make a reservation here.
