VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: The Cat Cafe
Casey Lange: Welcome to Luna Cafe, the Syracuse Cafe known for its Japanese cuisine and its furry friends that lay inside. The Cat Cafe is partnered with The CNY Cat Coalition to ensure that homeless cats find their purr-fect match. Josh Davis, the owner of the cat cafe, was inspired by his years living in Japan to bring this idea to life here in Syracuse. He recalls that feeling from when their first cat got adopted.
Josh Davis: It’s kind of like when you hit that goal that you wanted for a really long time. It’s kind of like graduation for a student. You just keep working, working, working. You have doubts, you are freaking out, finals are coming, etc. That is kind of the concept that we had. It was like why aren’t we getting any adoptions, what’s happening, or what do we do? And then when it finally happened we were like okay, this is real and we got this. Then they just started rolling in after that.
Lange: And he’s right. Over 300 adoptions later, The Cat Cafe can’t even fit all of their names onto two chalkboards. It serves as our reminder to adopt and not shop. Because not even cats can survive a Syracuse winter, now is the time to adopt a furry friend. And that is exactly what Olivia Morrison did. That name Schnitzel on the adoption board is now Blu, the companion Morrison has always wanted.
Olivia Morrison: I am an only child, and at home I have cats and they are always around me. Coming here, I have my friends, and I have my roommates but it’s just different than that way. I just really wanted a companion and a friend, and if I am doing something to also help the community and benefitting myself. It was a no-brainer for me.
Lange: Morrison credits The Cat Cafe for fostering a social environment where cats can play with each other while also playing with humans. It was a difference maker for her when considering other places to adopt rather than to shop. Then, once she walked into The Cat Cafe, it was love at first sight.
Morrison: Once we showed interest in some of the kittens there, they were like oh we actually have one more, and she came running out. She came running to us, and I was like well yeah she chose me and I can’t choose anyone else.
Lange: From playing dress up, to playing games and more games, to sitting in her throne, I think it is safe to say that Blu is the queen of Morrisons heart and it’s all because The Cat Cafe made it possible. Reporting from Syracuse, Casey Lange NCC News.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — The Luna Cat Cafe is known for their authentic Japanese cuisine and for the furry friends that inhabit it. Partnered with the Central New York Cat Coalition, the cafe is a spot where customers can find their purrr-fect match.
Josh Davis, the owner of The Luna Cat Cafe, was inspired to create this concept by his years living in Japan. He fell in love with Japanese culture and since he could not live there forever, he aimed to bring it to life here in Syracuse. They opened in 2021 after a few delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For him, cat lounges are more than just playing with the cats. He really wants these cats to find their forever home. He recalls that feeling from when their first cat got adopted.
“It’s like when you hit that goal that you wanted for a really long time. It’s kind of like graduation for a student. You just keep working, working, working. You have doubts, you are freaking out, finals are coming, etc. That is kind of the concept that we had,” Davis said. “It was like why aren’t we getting any adoptions, what’s happening, or what do we do? And then when it finally happened we were like okay, this is real and we got this. Then, they just started rolling in after that.”
As of now, The Luna Cat Cafe has had over 300 successful adoptions. This lounge serves as our friendly reminder about why we should adopt and not shop. With winter just around the corner here in Central New York, now is the time to give these cats a home. Which is exactly what Syracuse University senior, Olivia Morrison did.
Morrison found her beloved cat at The Luna Cat Cafe, and they have been best friends ever since. When she found her, the cat’s name was “Schnitzel” named by the CNY Cat Coalition, but that was quickly changed to “Blu.” This was more than just a cat to Morrison, it was the companion she needed the most.
“I am an only child, and at home I have cats and they are always around me. Coming here, I have my friends, and I have my roommates but it’s just different than that way,” Morrison said. “I just really wanted a companion and a friend, and if I am doing something to also help the community and benefiting myself. It was a no-brainer for me.’’
Morrison credits The Luna Cat Cafe for fostering a social environment where cats can play with each other while also playing with humans. The cats were also fully ready to be adopted physically, having all their shots and neutering taken care of. It was a difference maker for her when considering other places to adopt rather than to shop. When asking Morrison why she chose Blu out of the many cats in the cafe, she explained that it was love at first sight.
“Once we showed interest in some of the kittens there, they were like oh we actually have one more, and she came running out,” Morrison said. “She came running to us, and I was like well yeah she chose me and I can’t choose anyone else.”
From playing dress up, to playing games and more games, to sitting in her throne, I think it is safe to say that Blu is the queen of Morrison’s heart. And it’s all because Davis and The Luna Cat Cafe made it possible.