I couldn’t think of a better way to spend a Caturday afternoon then at the cool pop-up event held by Toronto’s first soon to be cat cafe.

Toronto has been waiting anxiously and has been a little envious that cities in Japan, the UK and US already have theirs. Like most cat lovers in Toronto I have been following the progress of the indiegogo campaign for Pet Me Meow – Toronto’s First Cat Cafe, co-founded by Ashkan Rahimi and Jeff Ro.

While the actual cafe is slated to open fall 2014 they did something brilliant and had a Cat Cafe pop-up. The event was held over 3 days this weekend and tickets could be purchased in advance or at the door. I clearly wasn’t taking any chances so I got mine in advance, never underestimate the number of ailurophiles present in the city!

A path of chalk paw prints marked the way to the location where you were greeted and registered. You could purchase snacks, lattes, t-shirts emblazoned with the Pet Me Meow logo or other cat themed merchandise supplied by Toronto Cat Rescue (TCR) who the cafe is partnering with to ensure lots of cats are given a chance at being adopted into their forever home.

Groups of people who booked a time slot were taken upstairs to the kitten room and I think we were all like kids in a candy shop. It was a very happy place, not just for the myriad of kitties running, playing, cuddling or sleeping, but also for the people, many of whom were sporting a pair of cat ears.

Kittens taking a brief rest before playing again

I chatted with one of the co-founders Jeff Ro about the cafe and it was really great to see the first priority of the pop-up was the well-being of the cats. I had no concerns as each of the kittens were literally having the time of their lives. All the people there were really respectful and were more than happy to serve whatever needs a particular kitten had – if they wanted more play they got it, if they wanted cuddles – no problem, and if they wanted a cozy place to sleep away the afternoon? Many laps were more than happy to accommodate.

Giving some lap time to a sleepy little fellow

TCR handles the adoptions and it was clear from talking with Jeff that the cafe was also going to be a place to educate potential pet parents on the responsibility of cat adoption. This got a big thumbs up from me as the city while feline friendly, has a huge issue with stray/homeless cats. Pet Me Meow shares the same vision as TCR and their partnership will hopefully be another vehicle for making Toronto an even better place for cats.

During the 3 day event only kittens were brought in, and many were adopted, but the actual cafe when open will also include older cats, this gets another thumbs up.

Gorgeous black kitten gets a leg up in the cat tunnel

My hour time slot with the cats flew by quickly and I asked if anyone has been forced to leave because they didn’t want to (I remarked that I may have been the first), but was reassured everyone had been really cooperative 🐱

Sweet & sleepy kitten enjoying the view from the window

If you missed the event not to worry, fall is not that far off and you can check out their campaign online, help contribute and score yourself some cool swag while ensuring you get a spot at the pre-opening. Whether you plan to visit the cafe to play with cats or adopt, Pet Me Meow is sure to be one of the best places in the city for cat lovers.

For more cat cafe pics check out my cat-stagram and Facebook page