Calling all animal lovers! We’ve got a treat for you! Local NGO Animal Guardians Malta are launching Malta’s first ever Cat Café – yup, you read that right. We got in touch with the organisation and spoke to Carmen, the founder of Animal Guardians, who tells us all about the new venture.
Where it all began
“It actually started as a rescue centre for abandoned, mistreated and neglected cats and kittens,” Carmen tell us. “We’ve taken in 42 cats who used to roam around St Vincent de Paul, and another 35 kittens around a year and a half ago.” And thanks to the organisation’s brilliant team, they managed to neuter all the cats that were left in the gardens of the retirement home.
Carmen says that it is also an animal assisted therapy centre, as the organisation believes in the value of this therapy to improve emotional, physical and social wellness. “We also started coordinating a programme with Richmond Foundation for this kind of therapy,” she says, which has been scientifically proven to reduce stress levels. Sign us UP!
The new Cat Café
The main aim of the new café is to raise funds to care for the cats, including for their food, medications and vet fees. “We spend a minimum of €400 every five days on food alone, and we support them from our own pockets and from the kind donations we receive.”
The café will be used as a volunteer centre for those who wish to spend some time with cats - feeding them, cleaning them, administering their medication and cuddling them, and also as a hangout spot to grab a cup of joe and chill with these cute kitties.
The launch event
The Cat Café will be opening for the first time this coming Friday, 13th September from 6pm to 8pm at St Vincent de Paul. From then on, the café will be opening every Friday at the same times, for now. “The feedback has been amazing so far,” said Carmen. “We’ll see how it goes!”
Animal Guardians Malta are always looking for a helping hand! If you’d like to volunteer or sponsor a cat, send an email on [email protected] for more information.
Animal Guardians Malta / Facebook