They say that the way you spend the first 12 days of the new year is the way the next 12 months are going to pan out. So having kicked off 2017 with a great yoga session, I decided to continue with the nice things in life and went to spend an afternoon at Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium in Shoreditch, London.
Lady Dinah's is a two-storey cafe, offering tea and sweet and savoury snacks in the company of 13 gorgeous cats, who wander around, climb shelves, play and sleep all around you.
At 12pm, we had the first slot of the day and the cats were awake and eager for some attention. It was quite empty at first, but in spite of it being a workday, the cafe filled very quickly and soon almost all the tables were taken.
The tea selection is great and the cakes and scones are tasty, but if you're going to a cat cafe, then it really is all about the cats, isn't it?
You can tell the cats love the employees of Lady Dinah's, the way they follow them around asking for cuddles. The staff love them right back and are happy to tell you all about their likes and dislikes and boy are there many things to keep in mind, what with each cat being quite a character and liking to be stroked just so, with a favourite brush and toy! Whether it's Wookie the gentle giant or Carbonelle the long-haired diva, each requires a special magic touch! You will get plenty of advice on how to interact with the cats, but of course, to manage expectations, there's no guarantee that the cats will be feeling cuddly during your visit.
To make sure the cats aren't overwhelmed and feel at home, there are some rules that visitors must follow, like no picking the cats up and no touching them when they are asleep or grooming. They also have plenty of places to retreat to away from prying eyes. You are allowed to take photos, but without flash.
I really enjoyed the visit and made a short video to show you the world of Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium: