How An Oakland Man Created The Nation's First Cat Cafe
OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- The country's first caffeine-infused cat cafe is keeping busy in downtown Oakland.
Cat lover Adam Myatt's pet project Cat Town Cafe sprang from an idea that first began in Japan then made its way to social media.
"The cat thing has sort of been this natural evolution of like cats taking over my world and my life," Myatt said.
The cats are kept away from the kitchen, per health department regulations, but humans can bring their coffee behind the glass. There are no cages here, just mini versions of Oakland's landmark buildings where cats who were once in Oakland's city shelter now roam free. But the visiting humans have to follow a few rules.
"We don't let people pick up the cats, because some of the cats are into it, some of the cats aren't," Myatt said.
There's also a quiet zone kitty's can enter with private cubbies to curl up and cuddle in so to limit the cats' stress.
But most cats are into being social and meeting people from all over the country. One group came even from Florida.
For people, it's a chance to vet perspective pets' personalities, outside of a sterile shelter environment.
Fremont resident Jason Lau said he was looking for a playmate for his younger cat. Other visitors were looking for a simple cat fix.
"It's my birthday," said San Francisco resident Marsha Seeley. "My friends brought me here so I could pet cats because I can't have a cat because I'm allergic."
While some just come to mingle, many find forever friends. So far, Cat Town Cafe has facilitated more than 100 adoptions.
"Even just sleeping there, they're selling themselves, because they're adorable," Myatt said.
During this week, you can just walk into the Cat Town Cafe but on the weekends, you might want to make a reservation since they fill up fast.
