Cat cafe gives a home to four new rescue kittens

It is estimated the kittens were born at the beginning of July, making them about three months old

A cat cafe has adopted four new rescue kittens for visitors to interact with.

They were introduced to their new home at Pause Cat Cafe in Bournemouth, Dorset, on Sunday.

Named Ellie, Eddie, Izzy and Lizzy, the female kittens came from Waifs and Strays Cat Rescue in Poole.

Customers will be able to meet the coffee shop's newest residents in November, once they have settled in.

[Top to bottom] Ellie, Izzy, Lizzy and Eddie were being looked after at a foster home

The cafe, which serves sandwiches, cakes and drinks, was home to 10 cats before the new young moggies arrived.

Manager Chloe White said it was the first litter to be introduced to the cafe since it opened in 2017.

"We had 12 cats when we opened but we’ve lost two," she said.

"This lot was dropped off at a local rescue centre and they've been fostering them for us," she said.

It is thought the kittens had feral parents who rejected the litter.

Cafe manager Chloe White said it had worked out "perfectly" as she had been looking for four female cats to adopt

Before the kittens' arrival, they were given blankets that had been scented by the cafe’s existing cats, and vice versa, to encourage natural bonding and reduce the risk of aggression.

They will be kept in the cafe behind a clear plastic wall so they can acclimatise to their new surroundings.

"We’re calling it the kitten palace," Ms White said. "It means the other cats can get used to them too."

She said Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council had approved the new number of felines at the cafe.

"We've got our [Animal Activity] licence from the council and they're happy that there's 14 cats here, and how they're kept."

The cat cafe said the integration process would take between two and three months

The establishment also has strict rules for customers to ensure the cats stay safe.

Hands must be sanitised on entry, no flash photography and waking sleeping cats is not allowed.

A member of staff is on hand to supervise the cats all hours of the day - and the cafe even has its own pull-out bed.

A rota of dedicated trained kitten carers would ensure the safety of the new arrivals as they begin to meet visitors, the cafe said.