Cat Cafes Exist, And Not Just In Japan.

Coffee and cats? Yes, please.

Cat Town / Via Facebook: CatTownOAK

My daughter is obsessed with cats. Her dream job is to be a veterinarian, and she also volunteers at our local Humane Society.

For her 14th birthday, she told me she wanted to visit a cat cafe in Japan. I had to break the news that we couldn't jump on a flight to Japan to visit a cafe.

But before I did, I jumped on my computer to see what options there could be for something similar in commutable distance. (After all, we live in California. If something like this exists in the U.S., it would probably be here.)

Much to my surprise and delight, I found two cat cafes in the bay area. One is in San Francisco called KitTea Cat Cafe, and the other is in Oakland called Cat Town and Rawr Coffee Bar.

We decided to check out Cat Town since it's closer to us, so we invited a gaggle of her friends and sisters.

Cat Town works with shelter cats in Oakland that are destined to be euthanized due to overcrowding, health, or behavioral reasons.

You reserve an hour spot from their website and pay a donation of $10. They limit visitor to 12 at a time, so plan ahead. The cost to visit the sanctuary goes to help cover the costs of running the non-profit space.

The plus side is that the cats get to live in this gorgeous space and have some interactions with other cats and humans to rehabilitate them. Some of them end up being adopted as well. The ones who are sick get their own plush rooms away from visitors and noise.

The downside is that the visit with my daughter and her friends was limited to one or two friendly cats and the rest hiding under the cubes or sleeping. Worse yet, encountering unfriendly behavior (one of her friends got scratched).

I would suggest getting a morning reservation, as that is when the cats are more playful and wanting to visit. Otherwise, in the late afternoon (we came from two to three o'clock) most of the cats will be taking a proverbial cat nap.

The great thing about my daughter and her animal-loving friends is that they understood this place was trying to rescue and ultimately adopt out these furry guys and was not a petting zoo.

Younger kids, however, may not understand this concept and may need some parental prepping so that you keep their expectations to a minimum.

Cat Town does have their own super cute coloring books and coloring area if your kids get bored with the cats (or the cats get bored with them).

It's clear that the trend factor plays a role in the appeal of cat cafes like this one. But hey, whatever works to keep the place open. Most of the workers and volunteers and even the visitors were young hipster types. The location in downtown Oakland also gave it a fresh vibe.

Because of places like Cat Town, more cats are able to live out a life they deserve and possibly even find a new home.

I would recommend a visit if you are a cat person who is compassionate about animal welfare.

Or if you simply want a cup of coffee in a cool space.

Cat Town / Via cattownoakland.org