London's First Cat Cafe Opens In Shoreditch

1 March 2014, 12:54

After months of waiting - Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium finally opens today in East London.

London's first cat cafe - where visitors can enjoy a cup of tea and cake while spending time in the company of rescue cats - opens today in Shoreditch.

Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium is like a normal cafe, where cats are allowed to roam freely. The pets will have free choice at all times to stay indoors with customers, or relax outside in their private two-story, cats-only garden. They will not be allowed in the kitchen where the food is prepared.

Cafe founder Lauren Pears says: "Cat welfare is really important to us. In particular, we want to make sure we can house cats who don't have a home to go to."

The first cat café opened several years ago in Taiwan, and the trend then caught on in South Korea and Japan, where their  success is linked with many landlords disallowing pets.

Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium is fully booked until April.