At The Cat Cafe, we enjoy showing special needs cats to show that even though they may require a little more attention than other cats, they can be loving and fun companions. We have adopted out a blind cat, a few cats with one eye, a cat missing a tail, and a cat with hyperthyroidism. But until now, one group of cats has been missing. And those are cats with FIV.

This is because our partner, San Diego Humane Society, is very cautious when it comes to how certain cats are handled. While FIV positive cats can live with other cats in a home environment, in a shelter environment, extra precautions must be taken. With so many other animals potentially affected, it is best to take a very conservative approach to ensure the well being of all the animals.

Because of this, in order to highlight how FIV positive cats show no signs of being different than other cats, The Cat Cafe has some very friendly FIV positive cats in right now. They’ll be in our facility for a couple of weeks.

There are a few things customers should know about cats with FIV. The first is that FIV cannot be transmitted to humans. It is a disease that is specific to cats only. The virus is the feline equivalent of HIV, and like its human counterpart, it is difficult to catch.

FIV is spread between cats through deep puncture wounds, which are typically seen between unaltered males fighting for territory. In a typical household setting, with cats who have been spayed or neutered, these intense fights do not occur.

Cats with FIV may not show signs of the disease for many years. Eventually, though, just like with their human counterparts, the immune system gets compromised and routine diseases that cats with healthy immune systems can fight off become much more challenging. This does not mean, however, that FIV positive cats cannot live healthy and happy lives for a long time.

Please come visit The Cat Cafe over the next few weeks to see how friendly and fun an FIV positive cat can be.

It’s been a busy week here at The Cat Cafe. We sent another cat, Fritter, to her forever home. And then we got five cats in to bring us up to a total of 11 cats. We haven’t had as many cats in as we normally have for a while, but that’s a good thing! We’ve been low on cats because San Diego Humane Society didn’t have any that were appropriate for us.

We believe our sweet spot here at The Cat Cafe is 10-12 cats. And with the new arrivals, that’s where we are!

This weekend would be a great time to meet them, and we know a lot of you will make the trip. Don’t forget, if you want to avoid a wait during our peak hours, there are a limited number of reserved admissions available.

Alexander is a handsome two year old black cat who’s on the big side. He’s 17.2 pounds, and while he’s got a big frame, whoever adopts him will have to help him lose a little bit of weight. But that shouldn’t be too hard, because Alexander likes to play and is very sociable. He figured out the cat door and was running around the cat playpen within an hour of arriving at The Cat Cafe.

Houston, hello! If you remember that old sports related catchphrase, congratulations. If not, come on in and say it to another big black cat. This four year old’s favorite toy thus far is the catnip stuffed owl. You’ll find him kicking it around, tossing it up in the air, and sometimes getting so focused on it that he gets distracted and rolls right into a wall or table!

Do you like orange tabbies? Well, we’ve got one for you. Julius is a friendly two year old who has the stereotypical orange tabby personality. He’s friendly and inquisitive, and he might just hop up on your lap if you give him a chance!

You might be thinking, wow, that’s a lot of boy cats. What about some girls? Well, we’ve got a couple, and they look a lot alike! You’ll have to look closely to tell the difference between Renee and Tessy.

Renee is a year younger, at two years old, and she’s a little bigger. She weighs 9.4 pounds and she’s a friendly girl. She has a cute little meow chirp, which she shows off when she gets to know you. And with her inquisitive nature, that won’t take long. She’s been wandering through the playpen here at The Cat Cafe when it’s quiet. When she feels more comfortable, you’ll see her out much more.

Then there’s Tessy. Tessy is a smart one. This three year old girl managed to squeeze her 9.3 pound frame out of the carrier on the way to The Cat Cafe. She is still a little shy and she isn’t quite ready to come out into the cat playpen for long. But she’s a friendly and sweet cat when she learns to trust you.

Come on in to meet these new arrivals or to see some of your favorite cats! And don’t forget, if you don’t want to risk waiting during our peak hours on the weekend, book a reserved admission for your visit to The Cat Cafe!

One of the things we have tried to do here at The Cat Cafe is to allow customers to be as spontaneous as they like. Want to check out the kitties? Come on in! You may have to wait to see them, but you can enjoy good coffee drinks in the meantime. And then, when there is enough room for you in the playpen, you are greeted by friendly cats.

We’ve talked to a few customers, however, who really wanted to get in to interact with our adoptable cats but who didn’t have the time to wait. These folks were understanding, but disappointed that they could not get in to interact with the animals.

In order to try to make both groups of customers happy, we are rolling out a limited number of reserved spots during our peak hours of 10 to close on the weekend.

If you want to visit The Cat Cafe and be sure that you will be admitted, you can book a slot at a specific time during these hours. The cost of one of these reserved admissions is $10, and that gets the purchaser a drink or snack item and a guaranteed admission slot for an hour. The only way to book a reservation is to do so on our website. We will not be taking reservations over the phone.

A reserved admission is good for the hour in which it is booked. After that time is up, if the cat playpen is not full, those purchasing a reservation are welcome to stay longer. However, if the playpen is at capacity, we will ask those who purchased a reserved spot to allow others to enter.

There are five admissions available per hour, so there will be plenty of spots available for those who do not book a reservation. You must book reservations one day in advance.

We feel that this is the best way to keep customers of The Cat Cafe who want to visit without planning the trip happy while also handling those who have time constraints.

Thank you for working with us as we look to accommodate both customers that want to book a specific time and those who are more spontaneous.