They say "seeing is believing", but for my wife and I, it was the experience that truly stole our hearts. Now, if you ever want to adopt a cat (or really have a cat adopt you), or if you just want to spend a super fun hour or three doing something that I can almost guarantee you've never done before, then I highly recommend you visit this corner of heaven called Koneko and spend some time with the sweetest cats and kittens from the Anjellicle Cats Rescue.
This marriage between café and cat may seem strange at first, yet somehow it works so perfectly well together, literally as if it was always meant to be. So, trying to review Koneko and Anjellicle separately is simply not an option. If you are not already Googling your way there, then please keep reading and let me Jedi mind trick you into going.
There are two simple ways to be a part of it all. And you don't have to be a cat-lover to have fun there (but trust me, if you're not, you will be by the time you leave). Stop-on-by to Koneko, get a welcoming cup of matcha latte (or a sake) with someone you love. Share a bite to eat, from a showcase of pastries to a menu of Japanese street food. All while falling in love with the cutest sight of cats at play from Anjellicle. Think of it as "dinner and a movie", except the fair is full of finger foods and the movie the best one you've seen in a long time that's well worth watching over-and-over.
However, for $20 an hour per "hooman", you can do more than just be a spectator of frolicking kittens, while you wipe your milk-foam moustache off of your upper lip. Instead, you can be fully immersed with happy cats all around you, as they make your world a better place to be, where you will have wished you cleared the rest of your day, just so you could stay with them forever.
When entering the "cattery", you are greeted to three floors filled with twenty cats, just wanting-and-waiting to show you some love. The main room, which faces the café, is where the cats get to watch us "hoomans" drinking and eating in our natural habitat. The second room is an outdoor lounge adorned with a feline-filled mural that is sure to make you smile and the cats purr. The third room is a quiet den where the cats can come to you for some private cuddle time and a quick catnap together. All, with a super friendly staff, there to help with any questions or needs you and the cats may have.
While $20 an hour per "hooman" may seem like a lot, the proceeds go to the care of the cats, which makes every penny worth it. Every cat and kitten gets to roam free, unlike being caged in a shelter, so their true personalities shine for you to adore in all of its glory. And did I mention that all of these precious felines are adoptable? My wife and I had absolutely no plans to adopt an Anjellicle cat, while visiting Koneko. But after two visits, here we are with two of the most loving cats ever, who actually adopted us, before we could even begin filling-out the adoption papers for them.
Adopting through Anjellicle is as easy and enjoyable, as the warm experience from Koneko. If you find a cat you fall in love with at Koneko, and provided the cat loves you back, you just simply fill-out a quick form, gather a few friends to speak on your behalf as pet-parents... and the rest becomes a happy history.
At each step, the friendly Anjellicle staff keeps you well informed throughout the adoption process. Quick responses and all of the information you could ever need is never further than a simple email or phone call away. Anjellicle does its very best to match every cat to the right home, so everyone can become a perfect new family together.
And if adopting a cat was your primary reason for going to Koneko, but you can't find the right cat to be your soulmate, fear not, as Anjellicle works with other catteries across Manhattan for you to find the cat or kitten of your dreams.
Please keep in mind that Anjellicle is a non-profit organization, where the staff graciously volunteer their time for everyone else's benefit. The cats and kittens are all safely pulled from harmful environments, or from death-row, where they are thankfully given a second chance to find their "purrfect" forever home. They are all thoughtfully cared for and their medical records are up-to-date. And with a small adoption fee, they come spayed/neutered and microchipped for theirs and your benefit.
My wife and I simply adored this happy, yet delightfully unexpected, experience of café and cat. Where we believe this union between the two is genius beyond belief. And while some of you may have visited cat cafés before, in places like Japan, the mission of Koneko and Anjellicle connecting cats and kittens to their "fur-ever" homes is what makes all of the difference.
So, what are you waiting for? Stop reading and start heading to the cat café experience of a lifetime. You will be thankful to Koneko and Anjellicle for opening-up your hearts in ways it never has before. read more