No shrews here, but plenty of cats…

We spent the weekend in Shropshire with my sister and her husband. An experience in Salop, with two Salopians – the old name for Shropshire. Claire had arranged for a surprise visit to a certain café that would be more at home in Tokyo than the midlands. We’ve been busy sorting stuff with the house, so it was nice to get a trip away.

Paws Café is Shropshire’s first cat café and launched in January of 2019, taking inspiration from a similar establishment the owners visited in Manchester. A bizarre export from Tokyo, animal cafés allowed people who didn’t have the space or permission to keep pets a chance to spend time with some furry friends. Cats came first, then dogs, rabbits, hedgehogs and more. Animal cafés have since sprung up all round the United Kingdom, becoming somewhat normalised. Part of the attraction is getting to see unusual and rare breeds, not necessarily everyday pet cats (though they are in abundance, too).

After entering through the tiny lobby, and being read the rules, we were greeted with a surprisingly large space with several different areas. You can book time in 30 minute slots, and the price of entry includes non-alcoholic drinks. And cats, of course. They even screen films and run other events.

There were some really beautiful Bengals, which were completely disinterested in attention as usual, and a lot of other cool cats. It’s definitely worth visiting if you like cats, or you’re on the look-out for an unusual experience. As I previously mentioned, these cafés have really taken off in the UK and you probably have one near you.

Though if you’re near Shrewsbury, I’d recommend a visit. It’s a beautiful old town with a lot of historic architecture and quirky old shops. For now, back to a certain cat in Plymouth who needs more help than most…