Day Trip // Cat Cafe Melbourne

Yesterday, my friend and I took the train to Melbourne to visit the newly opened Cat Cafe, the first of it's kind in Australia. Considering we are both 'Crazy Cat Ladies', we thought this would be a perfect excursion for the both of us and we had both been dying to go and check it out.

First, a little about what a cat cafe is, so you get the idea. A cat cafe is a place you can go to play with and watch cats. The cats you play with live at the cafe - it is not somewhere you bring your pets for a playdate. The first ever cat cafe opened in Taiwan in 1998 and they are now very popular in Japan and other asian countries, and also scattered throughout Europe. There have been studies done to show that there are mental health benefits of spending time with cats, so it can be a good alternative to owning a cat if for any reason you are unable.

You have to book before you go. I very highly doubt you'll get in if you just walk-in, because they have been very popular to date. You can book on their website catcafemelbourne.com, although there is a $10 fee per hour which must be paid upon booking. They don't allow more than 15 people in with the cats at any one time - this is great because it prevents overcrowding and lets people actually see the cats (there are only about a dozen cats). 

Two of the cats which live at the cafe are one-eyed, Braveheart and Ruby - and let me tell you, I've got a soft spot for less-than-perfect moggies. These two were both quite young still and very, very beautiful. Of course, they played with the other cats and visitors just the same. Having only one eye doesn't hold them back in any way.

At the time we visited (1 o'clock in the afternoon), the cats were quite lazy and were happy snoozing for the majority of the time we were there - anybody who owns a cat will be familiar with this. It's important to remember that just like humans, cats need time out too. They have lots and lots of toys and cozy places for the cats to snooze (check out the giant cat tower!) and there are couches in all the rooms where you can snuggle with the kitties.

All in all, I would definitely recommend checking it out if you're a cat lover. It's a really fun experience.

Have you already been? Let me know in the comments what you thought about the Cat Cafe Melbourne.


Becky x

Meet my family // Eve

On the 18th of May 2013, Jordan and I welcomed our baby girl Eve into our home. As soon as we we're sure that we wanted to add a fur-baby to our family, our first stop was the RSPCA. This little girl was 10 weeks old when we went in and just as her profile said, she loved climbing onto people. Although there were a lot of kittens in the shelter at the time, 'Genevieve' (as they had named her at the RSPCA) really caught our attention and not just for her unique markings!

Eve is a domestic short hair, silver tortoiseshell. All her little paws are white with pink pads (they are just the cutest!) and she has a big orange splotch on her nose - as you can see in the photos.

When she was small enough, she used to love sitting inside the front of Jordans hoodies. Now that she's fully grown though, she is WAY too big to be hoping in there! These days her cozy spot is the bed. Almost every time we come home she is sleeping on the bed - I think she thinks of it as hers. During the night she loves to get under the covers with us and snuggle up around our legs.

She is a super special girl. You could probably have a 'conversation' with her for five minutes - she always talks back. While she loves attention, it has to be on her terms. If you give her a scratch but she would rather have a pat, you'll probably get a warning bite. She definitely has an attitude!

Despite her assertive nature, Eve has given us tonnes of love and laughs. She often does silly things like chase her tail or fall off the bed. There has been a few times we've even witnessed her jump into the wall head-first in a miscalculated pounce.

Since I'm a serial cat-photographer, I had an incredibly hard time choosing photos of Eve for this post. I have close to 500 saved... Sorry Jordan! This one was just too cute not to add - look at her poking her little head out of his hoodie!

Thanks for reading!

Becky x