BAHRAIN’S first cat cafe hopes to raise awareness among the community about caring for stray cats in the country.
Catopia has rescued nine stray cats so far and plans to launch an adoption programme and work in co-operation with the Bahrain Cat Club on awareness events.
People visiting the cafe located in Adliya can book a time slot to have coffee or food while playing with the cats in the facility’s dedicated ‘Cat Section’.
Catopia owners Hafsa Saleem and Samiha Bashir told the GDN that the nine rescued cats had to undergo grooming, treatment at a veterinary clinic, and had to learn to be around each other and people without being frightened.
“The concept here is to have a homey, cozy atmosphere with coffee and cats,” said Ms Saleem. “This is majorly for cat lovers and for people who cannot keep cats at home for whatever reason.
“Through the process (of rescuing the cats) we learned how poorly these cats were treated, so we made sure (all our cats) were rescues, this is not just about making money through cats, it’s about taking care of them.
“We look forward to having lots of events on the issue of taking care of cats and we will be working with the Bahrain Cat Club to help raise awareness on the issue of taking care of cats.”
She added that they hoped their planned programmes would make people more aware of adopting strays and caring for them in hopes of reducing the stray cat population in the country.
Meanwhile, Nasra Buashwan, who is the designated cat caretaker at the facility, explained that the planned adoption programme will have certain rules and regulations to ensure the felines do not end up being abandoned once again.
“I chose stray cats and abandoned cats because in Bahrain we have so many of these cats that are looking for attention or a good home to move into,” she said.
“The adoption is not going to be easy, it will come with conditions and rules, and we have to make sure that these animals are safe and comfortable for the rest of their lives, we don’t want them ending up in the streets again.
“Most of the cats here were pets that were dumped or the cat got sick and the owners couldn’t treat them anymore – people need to learn that a pet is a huge responsibility and they need to take care of it.”
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