Lynne Lancaster

Catmosphere Cafe @ Surry Hills

Meow Earthlings!

If you are an aurilophile (cat lover) and like good coffee this is the place  for you .Cat people of the world

Catsmosphere is a sci-fi concept café global franchise that combines cats and coffee. Brilliant. Their mission: to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no feline has gone before .The latest branch has just landed in Sydney opening on July 25. It is very  conveniently located in Foveaux Street near Central Station and is next to Fish Place café ( most appropriate ).

Catmosphere is now international. It began it Changmai in Thailand and there are several branches around the world.

It is necessary to book as Catmosphere is very busy and popular particularly on weekends.

There are three levels– street level, where the coffee bar (most excellent coffee, a small but exciting menu of delicious edibles and very friendly baristas), seats and a small cat room.

The main cat room is upstairs and the rest room for our Catmonauts is on the top floor and not available to the public.

Presently, there are three main cat handlers and three waitstaff at the moment.

The cafe walls are mostly blue and there are fun posters of a feline sci-fi nature all around. (for example, Conquest of the Planet of the Cats).

The main cat room is luxuriously designed for our feline friends, with several large multi level play/scratch posts, soft cushions, cat hidey holes, cat baskets, a mirror ball , a rolling tube, two large sofas, tables and chairs. There are plenty of cat toys around that you can pick up and attract the cats attention with. The room also has a cat TV channel featuring each of the cats.

Our Catmonauts are rotated so they do not get too stressed out .At the moment there are approximately fifteen Catmonauts on the teaml. There are usually four cats downstairs and about five or six in the main room, the others are quietly in the break room . All the cats are rescue cats (through the World Leagues for Protection of Animals ) and have been checked by a vet. You can talk to staff about adopting one of the cats if you are interested.

The cat handler is with you in the room all the time. You enter through an ‘ airlock’ after taking your shoes off . No flash photography is allowed . All the cats have names, for example Neil Pawstrong , Luke Padawan, Fuzz Aldrin and some fun Star wars names.

Our Catmonauts are of all shapes , sizes and whiskers. They are all gorgeous aloof, enigmatic creatures who allow us to interact with them for a short while. The handlers remind us that some might be only half awake but then others may be hyperactive, especially those cats who get into the cat nip!

At the moment you can buy tshirts , badges, posters and magazines and more merchandise is planned…

Enormously enchanting. Book now.

Best fishes

For more about Catmosphere, visit http://www.catmospherecafe.com/sydney

Published by Lynne Lancaster

A passionate theatre person Lynne is originally from Sydney and holds a B.Ed (Art) - a postgraduate Diploma in Information Management (Librarianship) and an MA in Theatre. While living in London ( 2002 -2007 ) Lynne completed the dance criticism course at Sadlers Wells linked in with Chichester University. Lynne has worked for both Ticketek and Ticketmaster here in Australia and was involved with the original production of THE BOY FROM OZ An Ausdance member Lynne is passionate about dance and has studied ballet and Flamenco. Before moving to London she photographed the Sydney Dance Company and Australian Ballet among other companies and has exhibited internationally. Lynne is a SAMAG member and a volunteer at the Art Gallery of NSW. Currently Lynne writes for arthub, danceinforma and sydneyartsguide.