Client Spotlight: Seattle's Own Cat Cafe, Introducing Neko!
Capitol Hill's new cat cafe has a mission
Nestled in the heart of Capitol Hill, Neko Cat Cafe offers refuge to humans and felines alike. After spending three years living abroad in Japan and Vietnam (which seem to have cat cafes on every corner), owner Caitlin Unsell returned to the states with the dream of opening her own cat cafe in Seattle.
The "catfe" serves cat-shaped cookies, cakes and other pastries from local bakeries as well as the Japanese candy, Takara (to make the experience authentic). Neko also offers beer, wine, hard cider, sparkling wine on tap and even catnip-infused beer—all locally sourced from the Seattle area.
Of course, what makes Neko unique to the area are the cats. Neko houses a “Catarium”—a room in which cat lovers can sit and play with cats for up to an hour at a time (reservations strongly recommended). Large glass walls separate the Catarium from the cafe, allowing cafe dwellers to watch the cats while eating their Japanese and cat-inspired treats.
Making lives better for humans and cats alike
Inspired by the numerous cat cafes she visited while abroad, Caitlin decided to use her experience working in the restaurant industry to open up her own cafe.
The heart of Neko is its unique mission—every cat in the cafe is available for adoption. The cats are supplied by the Regional Animal Services of King County, or RASKC. All cats in the cafe have FeLV—Feline Leukemia Virus—which can weaken a cat’s immune system and increase its chances of developing other conditions like cancer. FeLV is not transferable to humans but—under regular circumstances—decreases the chance the cats are adopted.
Through this partnership with RASKC, all Neko's cats can be adopted off-site with minimal paperwork. “It just ended up working out so well, because when I was talking with RASKC, I just wanted to be clear that I wanted to help the cats that needed the most help,” Unsell says. “We want them to live their best life they can, and with us, they can have fun and also have a higher potential of finding homes.”
efelle makes reservations easy
Reservations for the cat room can be made online via Neko's responsive website as designed and developed by efelle creative. This essential functionality allows for Caitlin and the other employees to accept and view the reservations for the cat room with only a few clicks.
The website also offers profiles on all of the cats that include their name, age and miscellaneous facts about them. Anyone interested in adopting a cat can reach out to Neko through the website or in-store to begin the process.
Neko Cafe is located at 519 E Pine, Seattle, and is open Monday through Thursday from 10 AM to 9 PM, Saturday from 9 AM to 10 PM, and Sunday from 9 AM to 9 PM. You can learn more and make a reservation at nekoseattle.com.
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