Cat café offers feline therapy for customers

Liz Dyas, from Cool for Cats Café, said: "Cats are in charge here"

A café is offering feline therapy to its customers to help them with issues such as dementia, anxiety and depression.

Cool for Cats Café in Newton Abbot, Devon, uses cats that were originally rescues taken in by its rehoming centre. They were "carefully selected" to thrive in a cat café environment.

The animals are housed in their own chalet, which is connected by an overhead walkway. It means they can choose whether or not they want to visit the café.  

Owner Liz Dyas said it worked well "because cats are so good with people".

Coffee, cake and conversation are on the menu at the café

Ms Dyas said "cats are really in charge here".

She said one of the house rules was "do not pick up the cats". Although they enjoy being stroked, they prefer not to be picked up and carried around.

Ms Dyas recalled how one girl found it difficult to come into the café on several occasions, but once she had come in she was a regular visitor and would bring her slippers with her.

She said all the cats have two days rest each week, although they often prefer to just go to the café.

The cats use tunnels to access the café from the cat chalet

Pippa Todd visits the café once a week with her daughter Anna.

She said: "It's more like coming into somebody's sitting room and there is total respect for the cats. If there's a cat asleep on the sofa, then you find another seat."

Her daughter said: "I just feel really relaxed and it's just a real thrill being around cats."

Customer Pippa Todd loves playing with the kittens