The UK’s longest-running cat café is facing closure after “falling into uncontrollable debt” following the Covid pandemic.
Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium in Bethnal Green is planning to close its doors for a final time on June 23 after 11 years of serving customers.
The combination of financial pressure from the pandemic, escalating operational costs, and a delayed restructuring ultimately forced owner Lauren Pears to make the “incredibly hard decision” to close the café.
However, there remains a glimmer of hope, as the café’s manager, Freja, is stepping in to purchase the business assets and continue operating the café “under my own vision.”
She has set up a crowdfunder to save the business, which has so far raised £26,967 of its £50,000 target.
“I know people are asking how we’ll avoid the same fate. With a fresh start, a smaller operation, and new leadership, I believe we can build a more sustainable future,” Freja said.
“The funds raised will go directly towards buying the café’s assets and setting up a leaner, more resilient version of Lady Dinah’s, one that honours what people have always loved about it while adapting for the future.”
Lady Dinah’s is currently home to 20 cats, all of which will be rehomed regardless of whether the café is sold, Lauren has said. Potential adopters can register their interest online.
The café opened in 2014 with the aim of uniting people over their “shared love of the feline kind, and to be an enriching haven for our resident rescue felines before helping them their find their forever homes”. Since then it has become a well-known and beloved destination for cat lovers.
The cat café craze began in Taiwan in 1998 before spreading to Japan and beyond, where they have become widely successful.
But in recent years, cat cafés have come under fire due to animal welfare concerns. Lady Dinah’s was even targeted by vandals in 2015 who scrawled 'free the cats' across the shop's shutters. There was no suggestion of cats being badly treated by the business.
Charities such as the RSPCA and Cats Protection argue that the café environment makes it "almost impossible" to meet the cats' welfare needs.
“While cats, cake, and coffee might be a happy combination for people, for the cats living in these cafés it's likely to be a very different story,” Alice Potter, a cat welfare expert at the RSPCA said.
"We don't believe these environments can consistently provide cats with a good quality of life and are hugely concerned that many cats will be unhappy as a result.”
However, other experts have looked more favourably on cat cafés, including Andy Sparkes, veterinary director at International Cat Care, who told the BBC: "While cats are solitary animals, domestic cats have evolved and many are able to live in groups quite happily."
Manager Freja wrote on the crowdfunder: “We have a set of rules in place that all visitors are asked to follow—these help us keep the café a safe and comfortable space for our cats.
“Guests aren’t allowed to pick the cats up, disturb them while they’re sleeping, grooming, or eating, or feed them any human food. Flash photography is also not allowed, as it can be stressful for the cats. We also have an age policy of 12 and over. Since all our cats are rescues with different backgrounds, triggers, and past experiences, this policy—along with all our other rules—is in place to protect their wellbeing and make sure they always feel safe and respected.
She added: “To help with that, our cat care team is on-site at all times. They’re here to monitor both the cats and the guests, making sure everyone is comfortable, happy, and behaving in a way that supports a peaceful environment.
“The café itself is designed with the cats’ needs in mind, with lots of scratching posts, cat trees, wall furniture, and toys to provide daily enrichment and stimulation.
“And most importantly, all of the cats here will eventually be adopted into loving forever homes. We never keep cats with us if they seem unhappy—our mission has always been, and always will be, to rescue, care for, and rehome.”
To make a donation to the crowdfunder, visit crowdfunder.co.uk.
