Welcome to the Cat Cafe

Anyone who knows me is well aware that animals are my life. If I could, I’d live on a farm (or in a jungle). I’d have a cow and a giraffe. Don’t even get me started on elephants.

So, this weekend, it’s no surprise that I’ll be heading to a feline coffee shop. That’s right, I’ll be having tea with cats. According to the New York Post, “Pet food maker Purina is opening a pop-up cat cafe at 168 Bowery on Thursday, and billing it as America’s first feline coffee shop.”

The report adds, “Purina’s cat cafe is set to open on Thursday and run through Sunday. The store will be stocked with cats, all available for adoption through the North Shore Animal League. The company said it’ll also staff the store with cat experts to answer questions about feline health needs.”

Brace yourselves for photos on the way. I’m allergic to cats, mind you, but I’m also in love with them. So, there’s a small chance I’m coming home with a cat. (Yes, I live in fear of what my dog will do to my couch in protest.)

I had cats all my life until the allergies hit. My parents have four. The truth is that I’ve found them oddly fascinating. I like independence, a little aloofness now and then, and the fact that they can jump super high like they have little springs in their feet. (I once spent hours searching for my cat Bronte. I was sobbing, pacing, and thought she had escaped. I eventually caught her calmly staring at me from the top of a bookcase. I still have no idea how she got up there, but I swear I saw her laugh at me.)

I also like purring and hissing, but that’s a whole other topic altogether.

Those of you who hate cats because you think they’re all mean–they’re not. They’re all really different, just like the rest of us. Some will bite your hand off and others will sleep in your lap for hours. And then there was that one that would leave dead raccoons on our deck like they were a prize. That cat had no time for toys.

Anyway, I’ll tweet you from the cat cafe. I’ll be sneezing. They’ll be meowing. And my Zyrtec-D will finally get a Spring workout.

Follow Jedediah on Twitter @JedediahBila