The Cat Cafe Lviv has been operational for almost six years in Lviv, Ukraine, and has come to mean a lot to everyone who works there.
Serhii Oliinyk, owner of Cat Cafe Lviv, told The Dodo, “I have a small team of very close people who have been working with me for several years and have become my closest friends.” “The cats have also become used to these individuals, who assist in their care and play with them when there are few visitors, because our fluffy inhabitants like people’s attention.”
The café is home to 20 cats that enjoy greeting tourists and hanging out with them as they eat or rest. It’s been a safe haven for the people of Lviv, a place where they can come to forget about their worries and just play with cats that are always delighted to see them.
Many Ukrainians are fleeing the nation in the aftermath of the Russian invasion, but not Oliinyk. His family and he are staying at the cafe.
“Our kitties have lived at [the] cat café since they were four months old,” Oliinyk explained. “They are like family. We realized that we would never leave our country, that this was the only place where we could see ourselves in the future.”
Despite the invasion and the uncertainty, the Cat Cafe Lviv has chosen to remain open. They will continue to provide a secure area for people to come by and say hello to the kitties, something the people of Ukraine may require now more than ever.
“We have fewer regular visitors right now, but there are those who have traveled from other places and require hot meals and happy feelings,” Oliinyk explained. “Our café has three spacious rooms, two of which are located in the basement, providing a safe place for our visitors and kitties in the event of an air raid alert.”
Oliinyk’s family includes the cats at the Cat Cafe Lviv, therefore they will stay together no matter what.
Link to Paws Daily