Cat cafe in Queens helps strays, rescues get adopted
QUEENS, N.Y. (PIX11) -- A cat cafe that just opened in Flushing, Queens, is already garnering a ton of interest. It comes with a mission to help foster the stray cats it houses.
Kokoro Cat Café opened in March. It's the brainchild of New York couple Dragon Peng and Sherry Jiang. Cat lovers themselves, the two were inspired after a trip to Japan.
"We went to one and thought, why can't we bring this over to the states?” Peng said.
Business is booming. There have been 9,000 visits in just a month and a half.
"We've been shocked by the reception we’ve seen," Peng said. "We've seen many people come through and come through multiple times. A lot of times, people can’t have cats in their living space, so this is a great way for people to see what that could be like.”
Jiang added, “The joy on their face when they come through is heartwarming.”
At any given time, the cafe is home to 10-12 cats, all strays or rescues from Anjellicle Cats Rescue.
The goal is to help these felines get adopted. There’s already been success on that front.
“If you’re going to have a spot where cats can thrive, might as well make it adoption-centric. The feeling we get when a cat gets adopted out is amazing, and we want to share our love of cats," Peng said.
For 7-year-old Jay, who visited on Tuesday, playing with the little creatures brought him joy.
“They’re just so fluffy,” Jay said.
That’s why his parents and two brothers visited Kokoro Cat Café on Tuesday.
Denise, Jay's mother, said the family spends a lot of time watching cat videos together, so this was a natural fit.
“When we first saw the signage out it was coming, my youngster was like, 'They have a cat cafe. I want to go,'" Denise said. "My hands are full raising three kids already, so I don’t want a pet or anything yet, so I figure this is the next best thing.”
Many of the visitors said the focus on helping the cats is what gives the cafe so much heart.
"It makes me happy seeing all these cats around," said Flushing resident Gina Kim. “They all need homes. I would most definitely want to adopt one if my mom wasn't allergic.’
They added that while this might be their first, it’s definitely not their last visit.