Society’s
fascination with furry felines has reached a fever pitch, amplified by daily
online viral videos, fanciful Twitter feeds and celebrity kitties including the
film star Grumpy Cat and Karl Lagerfeld’s Choupette, who has her own Instagram
account.
But
while the UAE has a steady stream of stray cats to adopt and an obsessive
national love of coffee, the country has been so far left out of the latest
trend, which combines the love of animals with cafe culture. That is all about
to change in Dubai, where Saudi-born sisters Iman and Allaa Ahmed Al Aulaqi are
opening Ailuromania Cafe – the UAE’s first cat cafe – at the end of the month.
In
the meantime, Iman is introducing a few of her core team members, ET (sphynx),
Mocha (Siamese), Snow, Mo and Jumbo (Persians), to their new home in Jumeirah,
where she hopes to attract the kind of fanatical devotion found in cat cafes in
other locations, including Paris, Portland, San Diego, New York and Yokohama,
Japan.
"I’ve
only chosen cats that are sociable, ones that will adapt to the surroundings
easily," says Iman, 23, as she lifts the green-eyed sphynx that is wearing
a snugly pink sweater. The cat struggles free from her embrace and leaps onto a
fully wrapped couch in the still-unfurnished cafe.
"We
call him ET because he looks like the character from the movie," says
Iman. "Sphynx tend to feel very cold, so she wears a sweater. And she
loves to snuggle around the neck to keep warm. She is like a parrot."
The
young entrepreneur, who recently graduated from American University in Dubai,
has five cats of her own and has fostered more than 12 in the past two years.
Last
year, when she was contemplating a start-up, a friend sent her images of a cat
cafe in Korea and that struck her as the perfect match for her career goals.
"I’m
just combining my obsession with cats with my desire to be a
businesswoman," says the finance graduate. "It’s what I’ve always
wanted to do."
Iman
began following and researching similar cafes around the world and flew to the
United Kingdom to check out Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium, the first cat cafe in
London, which had a two-month waiting list when it opened in March.
"I
wasn’t allowed in because it was only on a booking basis. I pleaded but it
didn’t help. I waited outside for 30 minutes, watching the cats from the
window. I was so disappointed."
She
hopes for similar enthusiasm from residents here. At Ailuromania Cafe, the menu
will take a back seat as regulars will be queuing up to play with the 12 rescue
cats.
"I
think it’ll be a hit with residents who adore cats but can’t keep one because
of family members who are allergic or disapprove, or people who live in small
apartments. This is where they’ll come to fulfil that want."
The
story of each cat will be posted in the cafe alongside their portrait.
Iman
shares the story of Bob, a 7-year-old Himalayan. "We found him wandering
around in Barsha and [he] had a severely infected eye," she says. "So
I took him to a vet and called the owners, but they said they couldn’t take him
back.
"Bob
isn’t much of a player, but he loves people and will enjoy being petted."
The
sisters had to jump through a lot of hoops to make their dream business a
reality, especially with the health and safety department.
"We
won’t be preparing the food at the cafe because of health and safety
regulations," says Iman. "So our cold drinks, snacks, sandwiches,
pasta and desserts will be prepared by suppliers and transported and stocked
fresh in the cafe every morning. We will, of course, brew the coffee at the
venue."
Source: www.thenational.ae
