American cat lovers finally got their chance to hang out in a cat café! Last month the first cat café in the US, Purina ONE’s Cat Café, opened in New York City for a short run – just four days. What is a cat café? Only the coolest type of themed café, where patrons pay a small fee to hang out with friendly felines, sip coffee, read a book or play with feathery toys.
The focus of the pop-up cat café in New York was to discuss cat health in a relaxed setting. Sixteen adoptable cats from the North Shore Animal League, all who could handle a high traffic setting, hung out in the café with patrons while a speaker series called “Cat Chat” was led by cat experts, including a veterinarian and cat behaviorist. Two permanent cat cafés are set to open in the San Francisco Bay area later this year.
This themed café is a popular concept worldwide, some of the countries with cat cafés include:
- Taiwan (where the first cat café opened in 1998)
- Japan
- United Arab Emirates
- Korea
- Malaysia
- Bangkok
- Austria
- United Kingdom
- Hungary
- Germany
- Spain
- Lithuania
- Italy
- Canada
The idea of cats in public places is not a new concept, though cat cafés are definitely a new variation on the theme. Library cats, cats who live (and work) in libraries, are part of a much older tradition. In Ancient Egypt and the Europe during the Middle Ages, cats were trained to hunt mice to keep them from eating papyrus rolls and Monastic manuscripts, respectively. I’d assume they also kept the scribes in the temples or the monks in the monasteries company. The records only indicate they were kept for their hunting prowess, but speaking from experience, a warm cat on a lap can brighten the dreariest of afternoons.
Cat companionship in public libraries has continued today. According to research done by Iron Frog Productions, there are 809 known modern day library cats. 302 of these cats are currently living in libraries around the world.
The role (or job) of a library cat varies from library to library. The first library cat that I became aware of was Dewey Readmore Books. He lived at the Iowa’s Spencer Public Library from 1988 until his death in 2006. Dewey was a loveable, long haired orange tabby who hung out with library staff and patrons. His presence reduced stress and helped everyone relax a little more, just by sitting with them or by providing comic relief, mainly by being a goofy cat. He met visitors at the door at 9am every morning when the library opened. He also provided a form of free national and international press for the Spencer Library. Dewey was the library’s mascot and inspired participatory activities for library visitors. Vicki Myron, retired library director, who was Dewey’s primary caregiver, wrote about Dewey in the book, Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World, which is how I was introduced to the concept of library cats.
Libraries are not the only public institutions with a soft spot for cats. The St. Petersburg Hermitage Museum in Russia, has had museum cats since 1745. These cats were requested by Empress Elizabeth, daughter of Peter the Great, to rid the palace of mice and rats. Catherine the Great was also a cat lover, being particularly fond of Russian Blues. The Hermitage cats experienced a rough patch for many decades, which was turned around fifteen years ago when the personal assistant to the museum’s director, Maria Haltunen, discovered a small population of cats living in the museum’s basement. She, along with other staff, began feeding the cats and creating more comfortable spaces for them in the basement, with permission from the museum director. When museum staff reached out to the community to raise funds for the cats, locals responded enthusiastically.
Today the museum hosts an annual celebration called Catfest and recently commissioned artist Eldar Zakirov to paint the portraits of several specially selected cats in the style of 18th and 19th century Russian portraits. Maria Haltunen, now the ‘cat curator,’ co-wrote a book with Mary Ann Allin called Anna and the Hermitage Cats, which has been turned into a musical for children. The cats aren’t just lounging around the museum and taking advantage of their new good fortune. The exterminator who does work for the museum has found fewer rat corpses in recent years. Even the lazy cats help deter mice just by being in the museum, their bodies and scent themselves serve as a deterrent. Museum visitors who adopt a cat from Hermitage are said to have good luck, especially if the cat is orange.
Here in Columbus we have our own mini version of the cat scene at Hermitage and in libraries around the world. D’Art, a lovely orange tabby (I’m seeing a color theme here…), lives at the Dublin Arts Council. He serves as cat docent, meeting with visitors, attending staff meetings and hanging out with artists setting up new exhibitions. He even has his own blog where he shares updates about the Dublin Arts Council.
Do you know of any public institutions with a gallery cat (or dog?)? How would you feel about taking in a painting by Monet or Pollock with an orange tabby sitting on your lap? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
Want to see more kitties (it’s really what the internet is for!)? Check out these links below to read more about cat cafés, library cats, museum cats and to watch cute cat videos.
Cat Cafés:
29 Cutest Moments From North America’s First Cat Café
Cat Cafe unites friends of felines in New York
America Is Finally Getting Its First Cat Cafes
Library + Museum Cats/Pets:
Famous and Fabulous Library Cats
10 Cats Who Live at the Library
Every Cat Has Its Day: Hermitage Museum’s Mouse Catchers Are Immortalized in Portraits
Animal Videos: The Cats of St. Petersburg’s Hermitage Museum
Behind the Scenes: Meet D’Art, the Dublin Arts Council’s latest (c)attraction
Columbus EMP 