Houston's first cat cafe coming soon

Friday, August 12, 2016
Cat cafe coming to Houston
A cat cafe is headed to Houston. Katherine Whaley reports.

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- There's a new coffeehouse coming to town...and it's purrrrrfect for cat people! When El Gato Coffeehouse opens in early 2017, it will be Houston's first cat cafe. That means you can enjoy your cappuccino in the company of cats that are all up for adoption from the Houston Humane Society.

Cat cafes are popping up across the country, including one in Austin. And the woman behind the idea here in Houston says there's already a big demand.

"I want to do this really quickly, everyone keeps asking when are you opening and where, so the quicker we can get this open and start making a difference, the better," Renee Reed told us.

Reed tells us she is still working to secure a location for the cafe, but the opening is planned for early 2017. To help build support and raise money, El Gato Coffeehouse is hosting several pop-up events leading up to the opening.

Reed said, "I've been a lifelong cat companion, so you kind of marry the idea of having the cats and finding forever homes for them with everything that a cafe brings to the community, so it just felt like my life call."

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