Cat caf will be a first for Vancouver

A feline-friendly entrepreneur is fund raising to open Vancouver's first cat caf.

Cat-sitter and cat photographer Michelle Furbacher has teamed up with the Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association with the aim of opening "Catf".

"I discovered online, by accident one day, that there's this cat caf in Japan," Furbacher told The Early Edition.

"After more research, I discovered that there are many, many cat cafs. And I just figured that would be the perfect business, to bring the whole community together to socialize with cats."

Catf will be divided into two sections. One side will serve food and beverages, and the other will be a cat lounge, where patrons can play with cats from the Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association. It will also serve as a foster home for the adoptable cats.

"I just find there's something magical in the non-verbal communication with a soft cuddly little fur ball," said Furbacher.

Furbacher has launched a crowd-funding campaign with a goal of $50,000 to help get Catf off the ground. Contributors to the Indiegogo site get rewards such as t-shirts, stickers and free visits to the cat caf.

"The great thing about crowd-funding is that it creates a community around the business so I'll get to know my customers right from the start, and they help build the business from the ground up," she said.

Furbacher hopes to have Catf up and running by the end of the year, although the location isn't confirmed.

"Ideally, I'd like to have eight to 10 cats in the space," she said.

"But it also depends on finding the right kind of cats, who are socialized and happy to hang out with other cats, and socialize with people."

Cat cafs are popular in many Asian cities. The idea was born in Taiwan in 1998, and spread to Japan, where it's estimated there are now nearly 150 cat cafs.