By Claire White on
Saturday 6 December 2014
Forget the Aristocats, there’s a new bunch of felines in town ready to steal your heart.
Meet Sebastian, Marcel, Phillipe, Pierre, Guillaume and Jacques – the fluffy residents of Edinburgh’s first cat cafe Maison de Moggy, which is due to open in Stockbridge in mid-January. From a Ragdoll to Bengals, the six furballs are awaiting the build of their new home which will take over two floors at Hamilton Place.It's time to say bonjour...
Marcel
Pierre
Guillaume
Sebastian
Jacques
Phillipe
The idea
Owner of the cafe Laura O’Neill explained the idea came from her trip to Japan where she visited two cat cafes, inspiring her to bring the paw-some idea to Edinburgh. “I was going on holiday to Japan and before I go away I always like to look up places on Trip Advisor to find out the top things to do. A cat cafe came up and I’d never heard of it,” Laura said. “I looked into the concept and had no idea what to expect but was very intrigued by the whole thing. I went to Japan for a couple of weeks and when I was in Tokyo I went to a cat cafe. The experience was amazing, it was a big cat cafe over two floors and it was a lovely experience. You took off your shoes, put on slippers, washed your hands and went and chilled with the cats. Then I went to my second cat cafe in Akihabara. It was small and only took up one room, I absolutely loved it. The cats there were really special; I’d never seen the breeds before. “I thought we must have one in Scotland.”Scotland's first cat cafe
Arriving back in the UK, Laura discovered there was a cat cafe in London as Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium opened earlier this year. As her mother works as an Scottish SPCA officer, Laura already gained an extensive knowledge of animal welfare and decided to begin the journey to open Edinburgh's first cat cafe. She then contacted Edinburgh City Council to work out legislation and searched for purr-fect premises in the city.The cafe will open for a minimum of three months in Stockbridge due to the lease as Laura searches for a permanent base. “We were looking for premises and the idea was to have a French country theme,” Laura said. "We got our first cat Sebastian and now we have another five. I kept the idea private until we had the building because it didn’t feel like a reality until then. Last week we signed the lease in Stockbridge and there was a minimum of three months so we’re looking in the meantime for a forever home.”
The cafe
Maison de Moggy will focus on looking after the cats and giving visitors the chance to relax with a therapeutic cuddle.Split across two levels, the cafe will have a ground floor level with ramps and bridges and a downstairs chill out zone. “The ground floor will have chairs and tables with the focus on things to do for the cats with scratch posts, bridges and ramps," Laura said. “Downstairs will be a chill out area with a more spa style, it’s a tranquil space underground with a relaxation zone and a water feature. The focus is on the cats and letting people have an experience with the wonderful cats. We know the cat’s backgrounds and we know they will feel comfortable. Cuddles will be encouraged.”
The cat cafe will charge an entrance fee allowing you to visit both levels, with money going towards the upkeep of the cats. If this sounds like your dream day out, you can now book a slot to visit the cats via Maison de Moggy’s website.
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