Three of my favorite things came together today in a couple of joyful hours at El Mundo de Dali, a cat café in Santiago.
The café features a two-story cat playground, complete with towers, hammocks, scratching posts, observation platforms, toys, and furniture, all for the pleasure of the 10 or so furry friends who presently call the place home. Rescue cats are dewormed, sterilized, vaccinated and offered up for adoption. In the meantime, they live in a feline fantasy world.
After rubbing hand sanitizer on our hands and disinfecting our shoes, we entered through the café into the cat casa, where the kitties were ready for some play time. Some planted themselves demurely on a mat and watched the action while others chased toys or attacked our shoe laces. A few immediately moved in for some cuddles. A spritz of catnip spray on our mats made some cats wild with ecstacy (but led to collateral damage evidenced by chunks of rubber scattered about).
The upstairs loft space includes these platforms for cats to check out the action below.
This brilliant event is the brainchild of Kristen VanderVoort, an expat and certified yoga teacher living in Santiago. She led a chill vinyasa class interrupted only occasionally by cat interference.
One black-and-white sweetie named Chaplin (for his iconic little mustache) alternated between dashing, flipping, spinning around to chase the teaser toys and then hunkering down in someone’s folded jacket or even on one girl’s legs during “up dog.” Nina, a spitfire and a bit of a bully to the other cats, was nosing around my bag during a vinyasa, but when I lowered into “chaturanga,” she launched herself claws-out onto my head. “Ouch!” I exclaimed with surprise, but really Nina was adorable, so I didn’t mind. Sombra posed on Nancy’s mat as she pushed back into “downward facing dog.”
Lying on our backs for some final twists, this was my view. Martin, a permanent resident of the café, had a great seat for watching the yoga class.
After yoga, the café workers brought in stools and low tables for coffee and cat-themed treats.
Then we had a little lesson on making origami cats. Cheesy but fun.
As the event wound down, I went up to the loft and hung out a bit with these two lovelies.
Café cats who’ve been adopted.
Other shots from our visit.
Play time! Hard to know where Martin ends and Moise starts.
A photo of Jackson Galaxy, a big celebrity in cat lady circles. Check out his youtube channel.
When I got home, Ella sniffed my yoga mat, gave me the stink-eye and walked around the house with her tail fluffed up for a while. It took a while to convince her that she’s the only cat for me.
Still, I can’t wait for the next Yoga, Cats, and Coffee!