In the last hour, on the last day of my last trip to Paris, while returning to the apartment where I was living to pick up my suitcase and go to the airport, I came across a unique cafe. What made it unique was not an unusual design or a special menu, but the fact that alongside the people sitting there, several cats roamed freely. Some of them curled up in some corner while reflecting on everything that had happened to them that day, some played with the people sitting in the cafe and no one was clear whether the cats were the customers of the place or perhaps the owners. Unfortunately, I did not have time to sit there due to the lack of time, but when I returned to Israel I began to be interested in the place and for the benefit of those who do not know French, allow me to bring you a little information about the first cat cafe in Paris.
The place opened in 2013 and is more of a tea room than a classic cafe. Today there are two branches, one near the Bastille and the other in the Marais area, and each branch has 12 cats, all of whom were adopted from the streets or from “animal welfare” organizations. Each cat in one of the branches is chosen for its easygoing nature and its ability to get along with both other cats and humans. These cats cannot be adopted, but the owners of the cafe will be happy to refer you to a number of organizations that deal with adopting stray cats.
Since the place is first and foremost the cats' home, there are a number of rules of conduct that must be adopted, chief among which are not waking up a sleeping cat, not feeding them, and not forcing them to play with you. Finally, if you intend to come to the place with small children, they must be under your supervision at all times to ensure that they behave appropriately with the cats, the real owners of the place. A glance at the menu reveals that it is quite standard and contains various types of tea, salads, cheese and cold cuts platters, and brunch meals. Culinary-wise, I'm sure there are better places, but there is no doubt that if you are looking for a place that will do your heart good and not just your stomach good, you have come to the right place (just don't forget to book in advance).
As I wrote at the beginning of the article, I haven't had the chance to sit there yet, but I definitely intend to visit there on my next trip. If you have been there, I would be very happy if you would respond to this article and tell us all about your experiences.
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