Cats are everywhere on the internet. And now people can play with cats and sip some coffee at Mew Haven, the first cat café in Connecticut. I sat down with owner Angela Pollo to find out why she started this business with her husband, and how the day-to-day operations go.

While cat cafés have been popular in Asia for quite some time, they’re a relatively new occurrence in the United States. We discussed the many logistical issues surrounding Mew Haven: animal welfare concerns, government regulations, health issues, and more.

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The extended interview with Angela Pollo can be found here:

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Citations: 

#1: “Charlie Schmidt’s Keyboard Cat! – THE ORIGINAL!” YouTube, Keyboard Cat, 7 June 2007, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J—aiyznGQ.

#2: “Bongo Cat Mario.” YouTube, MrLeLocke, 16 Sept. 2018, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0IasGekm58.

#3: “If It Fits, I Sits…” YouTube, Cole and Marmalade, 15 Mar. 2018, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS2fsa1fuIw.

#4: Geiling, Natasha. “Pay Purr Pet at Japan’s Cat Cafés.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 3 Feb. 2014, http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/paying-purrs-japans-cat-cafes-180949536/.

#5: Wollschlager, Mike, and Arnold Gold. “Mew Haven Cat Cafe Is the First of Its Kind in the State.” Connecticut Magazine, 22 Oct. 2018, http://www.connecticutmag.com/the-connecticut-story/mew-haven-cat-cafe-is-the-first-of-its-kind/article_4d09fd4e-d17e-11e8-a50b-ab6f01abe7cb.html.

#6: Bates, Claire. “Are Cat Cafes Good for Cats?” BBC News, BBC, 13 Sept. 2016, http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-37199653.

#7: “PETA’s Stance on Cat Cafes.” People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, PETA, 23 Apr. 2014, http://www.peta.org/media/news-releases/petas-stance-cat-cafes/.

#8: Ricks, Markeshia. “Cat Cafe First Test To New Zone Reg.” New Haven Independent, 10 July 2018, http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/cat_cafe_first_test_to_new_zone_reg/.

#9: Smith, Leah. “Frisky Business: Cat Cafes Pounce on New Markets.” The Politic, The Politic, 9 Mar. 2018, thepolitic.org/frisky-business-cat-cafes-pounce-on-new-markets/.

#10: Romanello, Kaycie. “Cats and Coffee.” The Quinnipiac Chronicle, 5 Dec. 2017, http://www.quchronicle.com/2017/12/cats-and-coffee/.

#11: McNulty, Frederick, and Angela Pullo. “In Person Interview.” 29 Oct. 2018.

#12: Outro Song: “Fill Me In” by Atwaters featuring Yeon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW0iKqFMoxo Used with artist’s consent. The contents and views of this video may not necessarily be shared with the artist.