UK’s first cat café: Spend cozy moments with 11 feline friends

▲ Meow~ Don’t just take pictures of me, come play with me too!(Dialogue designed for illustration, photo / fromDaily Mail)

Travel Centre / Comprehensive Report

The cat café trend that started in Japan has now swept over to the UK as well. In early March 2014, London welcomed the UK’s very first cat café“Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium”, where you can not only enjoy delicious tea and snacks but also interact with the 11 adorable resident cats. Ever since it opened, the café has attracted many cat lovers, drawing daily crowds so large that even the owner was pleasantly surprised.

Although located in London, the owner of “Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium,” Lauren Pears, is actually Australian. A true cat lover herself, she said she heard about the huge success of cat cafés in Asia and wanted to open one herself. However, her journey to launch wasn’t smooth—she spent over a year in preparation, and even raised the start-up funds through online crowdfunding.

But now all the effort and hard work have paid off handsomely. “Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium” became a major hit even before opening in London, with everyone eagerly anticipating the launch day. Once the official website announced the opening date and began accepting reservations, over 3,000 bookings poured in, even briefly crashing the site. To this day, reservations remain fully booked every day, showing just how popular the café is.

▲ Exterior of “Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium” (left), and the café’s tableware in use (right). (Left image / fromDaily Mail; right image / fromThe Independent)

“Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium” has two floors,and the 11 resident cats are named Adamska, Artemis, Biscuit, Carbonelle, Donnie, Indiana, Loki, Mue, Petra, Romeo, and Wookie.From the transparent glass at the entrance to the basement, there are cat trees, cat stairs, and other play areas for the cats. Even the teapots used for drinks are shaped like cats. The café also provides cat toys such as feather wands for interactive fun. Cat lovers can enjoy their tea and snacks while interacting with these adorable felines.

However, Lauren Pears explained that running a cat café isn’t just about giving guests a chance to play with cats. More importantly, it offers a relaxing little haven where visitors can temporarily escape the outside world. Sitting on a comfy sofa with a hot cup of tea, a book, and a cat by your side, you can spend a cozy moment and leave feeling refreshed. One guest commented, “When I’m feeling too stressed, I come here to unwind for a bit. It helps me go back to my desk ready to tackle work again.”

%伎Х忍?诔?四苡貌屯猓?褂凶急赣朊ㄟ浠ザ?耐婢摺（图／取自Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium fan page)

Also, when dining here, please note: if you want to take photos with the cats, remember not to use flash, and avoid disturbing any sleeping cats. Moreover, to prevent the cats from getting too tired, there is a daily one-hour rest period in the afternoon when visitors are not allowed, ensuring the cats still have their private time.