Gatuari: A Different Cat-café In Barcelona
In this cat-café they promote responsible adoption and well-being of cats while having a cup of tea or practicing yoga with them.
Gatuari is a cat-café located in the Barcelona neighborhood of Gràcia, which we created, three years ago, three young animalists and entrepreneurs from the city: Clara Clemente, Meritxell Jaén and Enric Sintes.
The three of us had previously known each other from an association for the rescue and protection of animals in Barcelona, which gave us the background to dive into this initiative on a personal and professional level. Our desire is to give an opportunity to the “invisible” cats of different animal rescue and protection associations, in an environment of respect and affection.
We bet on those felines that nobody wants, be it because of their black fur or because they lack an eye or a limb, are elderly, do not hear or have some medical complication or a too common appearance.
Gatuari facilitates familiarization and responsible adoption
In Gatuari you will be able to meet first-hand the “invisible” adult cats who have come from protectors and shelters from all over Spain that temporarily live in it, in a quiet, respectful and safe space. Here humans can live with the feline species, learn from it and establish a bond that can lead to responsible adoption.
Our guiding wish is that our four-legged guests are passing through. Our ultimate goal is to offer you a home where you can spend the rest of your life in a happy and responsible way. Nothing would make us happier. We want all the kittens that we welcome to find their human and have the life they deserve. Because we believe in second chances for everyone, also for them.
How the adoption is done
The process of adoption of our felines is slower than usual, but at the same time, more efficient, since it allows us to establish a previous relationship and see if a connection between human and feline is generated.
Many times, adoptions are made quickly and are chosen based on aesthetic preferences, with which we take home an animal that we hardly know. In Gatuari we are not in a hurry and that is why we provide a space where each person can experience the relationship with the different cats in a leisurely way, at their own pace, so that everyone can make the best possible decision.
Disconnect and share with cats
If there is something that makes the Gatuari special, it is the unique fact of having a shared space with cats where you can also carry out other activities. These are aimed at people who come to the center and include yoga sessions on Sundays at noon or chikung on Thursday afternoons.
They are spaces and moments designed so that humans who want to disconnect from their daily routine in the company of our foster cats, something unique in Barcelona.
At Gatuari we also work to offer talks, workshops and training sessions, always linked to animal welfare, responsible ownership and adoption. Of course, these are always activities that are compatible with the well-being of our felines.
In our center we do pedagogy around the figure of the cat, so that there are fewer seasonal adoptions and the felines stop seeing themselves as the surly and independent animals that many people still believe they are.
We are aware that not everyone can or wants to adopt. The statistics of abandonment show that you cannot always take responsibility for keeping pets in the long term; For this reason, our cat-café is also designed for those visitors who wish to offer the cats company, affection and a time of games. Always, obviously, respecting their space and time. In Gatuari, the boss is our furry.
An oasis of feline calm in the middle of the city
Although the central objective of our initiative is for cats to find their human among all the visitors who come to Gatuari, we like to think that we are also an oasis in the middle of the big city for true cat lovers. Come see us: you can have a coffee and, if you wish, give an adult cat a home.
Clara Clemente, Enric Sintes and Meritxell Jaén are the souls of Gatuari, a project that is based on other cat-cafes in the world, with the difference that, in addition, they favor adoption and teach personal and social transformation.
The cafe is open from Tuesday to Sunday and has a fee per minute of stay, drink included.
They also carry out activities such as yoga, and courses on animal welfare and holistic veterinary medicine, and offer services such as babysitting at home for felines.
Calle de Sant Lluís, 14. 08012 Barcelona. www.gatuari.cat
