Coffee with a furry friend: Malta’s first cat café helps people and animals

A new coffee place in Malta is combining people’s fondness for animals with their love for coffee, offering animal-assisted therapy in the process.

Animal Guardians cat café - the first such venue in Malta - opened its doors late this summer.

The venue itself had started a number of years ago as a rescue centre for abandoned stray cats, all of which are neutered by the organisation.

The idea behind launching the café was to raise funds for the cats in the organisation’s care, covering food and the costs of veterinary care, while providing a place for animal lover to have a coffee surrounded by their feline friends.

The café doubles as an animal-assisted therapy centre, where the contact with the cats goes towards improving the physical, emotional and social wellbeing of the cafeteria’s patrons.

Animal Guardians have almost 200 cats and kittens in their care, and anyone who loves animals would undoubtedly revel in being surrounded by the creatures while buying a coffee, knowing the money is going towards a good cause.

The café is open on Sunday from 10am to 12 noon, and the entrance fee of €5 goes for the cats’ care.