Watch CBS News

"Cat Café" Coming To Pittsburgh Area

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The "Meow Parlour" of New York City is one of many "cat cafés" that have popped up, all over the world.

Closer to home, Olivia Ciotoli and her partner have raised funds through a Kickstarter campaign, to help open their "Black Cat Market" in the Lawrenceville area, hopefully by Fall.

Based on a coffee and cat habitat in Denver. It won't just be a café, but a community and art center as well.

"We're going to have about four to five cats in a separate room from the food service area, and you can come in, hang out with the cats, relax, do schoolwork, business, whatever you want," Ciotoli says. "And if you end up really liking one of the cats, you can adopt them that day."

Join The Conversation On The KDKA Facebook Page
Stay Up To Date, Follow KDKA On Twitter

Right now the Animal Rescue League has about 60 cats -- and that's low. After the annual spring explosion of kittens, they'll have about a thousand by August. At which point, they'll need all help they can get.

"If the cat café can get a few dozen or a few hundred cats every year adopted for us, that would be wonderful," says ARL Executive Director Dan Rossi.

It's been scientifically proven that petting a cat can be a calming experience. And if you're squeamish about sanitation, Ciotoli says, "You enter one door, sanitize, wash your hands a lot, and then go through another door to the cat room. And then you do the same process coming out."

You can take your coffee to the cats, but the cats can't come to the coffee room. But if you're looking to adopt, one of them might just come home with you.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.