It took longer than expected, but Denver’s first cat cafe is officially open.
The Denver Cat Company opened Friday at 3929 Tennyson St., about a month later than owner Sana Hamelin had hoped, but hers is still the third cat cafe in the U.S. after Oakland, Calif., and Naples, Fla.
“It’s great,” said Hamelin, adding that two women were waiting when she opened the shop at 9 a.m.
Hamelin and sister Marwa Qari sell drip coffee and some pre-packaged food. There are books for sale, and wireless Internet is available. The cafe is open daily.
The shop also will host painting nights, partnering with the Teller Street Gallery and Studios in Wheat Ridge. The first painting class will be Dec. 19.
The six cats — Melo, Jill, Draven, Brenna, Norman and Bates — are free to roam the shop, and customers are free to pet them.
People cannot bring their own cats to the cafe, but if someone especially likes a shop kitty, they all are available for adoption through Rocky Mountain Feline Rescue.
Connie Mar made the trip from Lakewood on Friday morning. Mar has two cats at home and said she enjoys going to rescue shelters and visiting with cats, especially in places where they can roam around.
“It’s great to come and spend some time here,” Mar said. “The fact that they are going to adopt out of here is nice.”
Mar was later joined by Kate Kissingford and her 9-year-old son, Nathaniel. The Kissingfords are in town from Ouray for two months while Nathaniel is a cast member in “A Christmas Carol.”
Nathaniel said he was missing his cats at home.
Cat cafes are a recent phenomenon in North America, with the first cafe opening in Montreal in August. The idea started in Taiwan in the late 1990s and exploded in Japan in the early 2000s before booming in Europe.
Hamelin said another cat cafe should be opening soon in New York, and others are planned in Portland, Ore., Seattle and San Diego.
“It’s getting to be a thing,” Hamelin said. “You’re stuck with us.”
Joe Vaccarelli: 303-954-2396, jvaccarelli@denverpost.com or twitter.com/joe_vacc
Denver Cat Company
Denver’s first cat cafe is open at 3929 Tennyson Street 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday.
