The Middle East’s first cat café opens its doors in Dubai

Guests enjoying coffee, cakes and cuddles by the cats in
Ailuromania Café – Photo Credit: Gulf News

Combining Dubai’s love for coffee and animals, Saudi sisters Eman, Aliaa and Omnia Al Aulaqi launched the first ever cat café in the Middle East on April 2, 2015. Located on Jumeirah Beach Road, Ailuromania Café is a coffee shop, which is home to 20 different rescue cats of a diverse breeds and ages.

“It all started 4 years ago, when Eman received a kitten as a gift, she has been rescuing and adopting cats ever since,” said café co-owner Omnia. “She was always keen on starting her own business someday. When she heard about these cat cafes that opened in London and Japan, and it was like a lightbulb moment for her,” she added. 

The idea originally started in Taiwan, and has become a big hit, as many furry feline lovers stand in line, waiting for their cup of coffee and quality time with the cuddly cats. “The concept of the café is unique, not many places have this sort of café, and here in Dubai there is a need for it,” explains Omnia. “There are so many people who love cats, but they can’t own one for whatever reason, so we make it easier for cat lovers to connect with cats on a personal level, by allowing them to have a bite and a cup of coffee in the company of our cats” she said.

Ailuromania is the first cafe featuring animals in the UAE, therefore, the process for opening the café was not an easy one. “This is the first café of its kind in the UAE, there were no rules or laws for it, so in order to get a permit and license the business, the municipality had to actually create rules and laws that the café would abide by, this process alone took us about 1 year,” Omnia explains.

Aside from the permit and licensing issues from the municipality, a strict concern from the Dubai Health and Safety Department gave the sisters many obstacles on how the café should serve food in a sanitary manner.

The idea of animals being in a café where food is served can be daunting; therefore, a separate extension was made with its own private entrance for the kitchen, where the food is made. “Nothing is cooked in the café, due to obvious health regulations, we cook our food in the kitchen which is separate from the café, and we only use the café to heat the food before serving it,” says Omnia.

The prestigious look and feel of the café comes at a minimum charge of 50 AED per person. “I find that the minimum charge is a bit excessive, but I guess that this figure is justifiable for the owners, considering that these cats need food, litter, vaccinations and regular grooming. I am not sure who would be willing to pay 50 AED just to see some cats, but I for one will be back,” said Elizabeth Bailey, a customer at Ailuromania café, and a self-proclaimed cat lover. 

“We have a lot of cats at home, which we hope to bring into the café permanently, but we do select the cats that are the most sociable. If any of the cats in the café are sick, we bring them home until they feel better. We do our best to make sure that both our customers and our cats are well taken care of,” said Omnia.

The cats, which are chosen to stay at the café, are based on their health and behaviour. They require grooming every 3 months, and annual vaccination check-ups to ensure that the cats are healthy and up to date and that the cafe upholds the highest standards of sanitation. “I’ve heard of these types of cafes, but I never imagined that I would see one in Dubai! The cats are so cuddly and beautiful. I hope that this business becomes a big hit; we need these kinds of open-minded ideas in the region, so that the idea of animals and humans living harmoniously together doesn’t seem so far-fetched.