It's the purfect way for cat fanciers to spend an hour, sitting in a chair loved up with a cat or two and a catta-chino at Brisbane's new and only Cat Cuddle Cafe at Red Hill.
Better still, it's all love and no responsibility as all you have to take with you is a bit of fur stuck to your clothes. However if you fall in love with one of the residents, they can become your own as these are all rescue cats looking for a furever home.
Here's a few of the locals.
The cafe has been brought to life by Katrina Balson who is a crazy cat lady dedicated to helping felines. She runs Pussies Galore Rescue and is in the business of saving unwanted, neglected, abused and abandoned animals. Many are rescued from death row at council pounds.
It took two months for the cafe to be fitted out with support from volunteers, including a plumber and handyman who donated their labour. The outdoor area at the rear was donated by Happy Cat Enclosures.
Katrina also ventured into crowd funding to cover the leases and rent and raised $13,000.
While the focus is obviously on the cats, this is a real cafe although council regulations mean that the food offering is quite limited. You can enjoy a selection of cupcakes and biscuits all made from plant based foods so it's all 'cruelty free'.
The coffee comes from Prestige Organic Coffee who also donated the coffee machine to the cafe. This organic, free trade coffee supports three villages in Papua New Guinea. You won't be disappointed with its flavour.
Here's some of the cats still looking for homes. On average one cat a day is adopted from the cafe but the owners and their homes have to pass Katrina's spanish inquisition.
If you love cats but don't want to adopt, consider helping out by falling in love with something in the op shop next door which supports the Cat Cuddle Cafe. There's also information regarding donations on their website.
You can also volunteer like some of the staff, who started out as volunteers and now run the food and drink side of the cafe. It may mean that you have to wear cute pussy cat ears but if you are a cat lover that shouldn't be a problem.
The cafe also has volunteers who monitor the interaction between guests and cats, feed the animals and generally watch out for their welfare. This may mean you have to give the cats lots of cuddles.
Ed+bK rating: 5 paws
Recommended for: Cat lovers - silly!
Best tip: Do book ahead. This is not a drop in cafe and you need to reserve your space online. It costs $10 for an hour of cat cuddling which helps rescue more cats.
Bottom line: It costs around $200 to adopt a cat. Coffee is much cheaper.
Disclaimer: Ed+bK is simply sharing cat and cafe love.