Within minutes of arriving at the Animal Guardians Cat Cafe, I forgot why I was there. I was immediately absorbed by the sight of over a hundred felines of all shapes, sizes and colours roaming around; some feeding, some sleeping, some playing. A little bit in awe to be in the presence of so many cats for the first time, I stood by a table and a ginger cat came to sit on it. Within minutes, he put one paw on my shoulder, the other on the other shoulder, and jumped up to give me a hug! A real cat hug! I held the cat, whose name is Gingri, and we spent a few minutes nuzzling each other.

Right after I put Gingri down, rather reluctantly, a ginger kitten named Curry stole my attention. Curry evidently really wants a forever home. If I didn’t have two cats of my own (and a dog) already, the seven-month old cutie would have come home with me, no doubt. I noticed his left ear had a fresh cut and I was told it was because he has been recently neutered; tom cats have it on the left ear and mollies have it on the right.

So let’s get one thing clear. If you are envisioning a chic cafe with waiting staff and a menu, we’re sorry to disappoint you. This cat cafe is the actual Animal Guardians cat sanctuary, and there are more cat kennels, cat beds and cat toys than there are tables and chairs for humans. In fact, the cat cafe is only open two hours a week on Sunday mornings between 10:00 and noon. But, these two hours have a very special intention.

Of course, any fundraising for the cat rescue and re-homing charity is welcome - when vet bills are already at 4,000 euro this year, and that’s not counting food, roofing and other requirements as necessary. A five euro ‘entrance fee’ gives you access to free tea or coffee and plastic-wrapped croissants and brioche, but that’s not what the cat cafe is really about anyway. Because Animal Guardians strongly support the notion of animal assisted therapy.

Animal-assisted therapy (AAT), in which physical and emotional healing is supported by the presence of animals, evolved precisely because research demonstrates that being around animals reduces stress and promotes healing. It has been found to be beneficial for all sorts of disorders, from anxiety, ADHD and autism to cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.

Animals provide a non-judging, non-verbal presence that allows us to interact with them on a different level. They offer a safe place for humans to direct their loving without fears of rejection, betrayal and all the possible difficult scenarios that may arise in human relationships.

The 120 cats inside Animal Guardians at Vincent De Paul, located near the football ground, welcome the facility’s patients and residents through an arrangement with the nurses. The Richmond Foundation, a charity that works with mental health, also brings in people weekly to interact with the cats. Karmen, the lead volunteer, says that autistic kids, particularly, have shown huge improvement by this interaction, with some children beginning to talk when previously they didn’t.

The cat cafe encourages relatives of anybody with illness or disability to access the benefits of interaction with animals for their loved ones. Naturally, the place also welcomes anybody who simply wants some kitty love.

I spent two hours and found it hard to leave. When I looked at my own pictures, I could see the warmth and calm on my face that would deceive anyone into assuming I hadn’t had one of the most stressful weeks ever. Yes, kitty love really works to help step into presence, de-stress and reset - I can vouch for that myself.

The sweet nature of the volunteers (pictured below: Jenny, Maria and Karmen) is no less healing. The selfless care given by Karmen, Maria and Jenny - just three of a core team of twelve and some additional volunteers - is inspiring in itself. These ladies dedicate more than just their time, they personally invest from their savings to keep the place running. 

Donations are much needed, whether in the form of money, cat beds, cat toys or cat food (Royal Canine and Whiskas). Check the Facebook page for more details on how you can help.

Many of the cats arrive needing special care, and there are several cats at the sanctuary that are blind or have some other special need. Some of the cats are shy and some are very friendly, and there is also a ferrel section for those cats that remain rather wild after being picked up as strays. But my heart was brimming even just from that very special hug from cuddly cat Gingri. I know I just have to go there again.

For more information call Karmen on 79401186 or Maria (above) on 99576293.