A cat café may sound unusual, but is actually quite practical. Cat cafes offer a comfortable environment for cats until they find a forever home through adoption. Catopia Cat Café opened in Albuquerque in 2019. Animal lover Sandy Dierks owns and operates the local café. Dierks’ father was a veterinarian and she grew up surrounded by a house full of pets. Dierks thought owning the café would be a hobby that could pay the bills, too.
Dierks once worked as a medical transcriptionist but was ready for a change. Her son asked her what she would do if she could do anything, and the cat café came to mind. After doing her research, she made her dream a reality. She learned about the first cat café that opened in Taiwan in 1998. That idea quickly spread to other countries. Now, the U.S. has more than 100 cat cafes, including Catopia.
“Catopia’s mission is to provide a happy temporary home for adoptable cats” and a great place for people to relax and have fun. Dierks says, “The cats are comforting, sweet, and fun. I really do love them. It is really therapeutic to be around cats.” Some people come to the café with their laptops and get their work done while they watch the cats play.
Typically, around 20 cats reside in the café at a time. Depending on adoptions, there could be less than 20 cats in the café. The café is filled with a plethora of cat toys and some unique contraptions for cats to play on and hide in. Within the café are plenty of high perches and soft spots for felines to sleep. Dierks says, “The wheel is really fun to spin around, but mostly younger cats like to use it.”
Visitors can relax in comfortable chairs and enjoy books, games, and free Wi-Fi. Guests can simply observe, cuddle, or interact with the cats. Catopia café serves hot tea, coffee, instant cappuccinos, juice, sodas, and pre-packaged snacks. Restrictions prevent the cafe from preparing food, but most customers mainly visit for the cats.
All of the cats at the café are adoptable and have been spayed, neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped. Catopia Cat Cafe follows the adoption policies of Albuquerque Animal Welfare, Bernalillo County Animal Care Center, and their rescue group partners to ensure successful life-long adoptions for cats. If visitors find a cat they want to adopt they can fill out the application at Catopia. Most adoptions take a day or two to process.
The most important thing to remember is that “these are shelter and rescue animals; we are trying to get them adopted.” Guests at the café also help socialize the cats for their future forever homes. Dierks and her staff miss the playful residents when they leave, but are always there with open arms to welcome the next group of cats to the café.
The Catopia Cat Café charges $12 per person for an hour's visit. The summer hours are Wednesday, 11 am to 8 pm, and Thursday through Sunday, 11 am to 5 pm. During the school year, the café is closed on Thursdays. “The cats are really fun to be around. It lifts your spirits for sure,” says Dierks. Walk-ins are welcome, or you can schedule a visit on the website at www.catopiacatcafe.com
Catopia’s shelter and rescue partners include:
Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department
Bernalillo County Animal Care Center
Desert Paws Rescue
Hart NM
High Desert Cat Rescue