Life can be stressful. Sometimes, we barely have the time to enjoy a warm cup of coffee and relax. For most of us, having a purring cat on your lap is the ultimate stress relief. The Pat a Pet Cafe on Mirpur Zoo Road offers a combination of both. Launched on 6 May 2022 by Saria Ahmed, Rakibul Huq Emil and Prof Dr Farzana Alam, the cafe is a haven for cat lovers to sit down and enjoy vegan-friendly desserts and coffee, all the while with fluffy, mellow, and mischievous cats running around playfully. The mission of the partners is to introduce an animal-friendly culture and environment where one can relax as well.

In Bangladesh, most cafes and restaurants do not allow pets. Even if they do, there is no proper accommodation for those pets to settle in or for them to not be considered as being disruptive by others. Pat a Pet Cafe is fighting this notion by providing a safe and comfortable space for animals and people. With a friendly staff and the entire building being animal-friendly, with the added benefit of PAW Foundation being one floor below, this cafe is the perfect place for any animal lover. What makes this cafe more welcoming is that you can also bring in your pets.

The founders all share a common belief that humans and nature should coexist. In an era of technology and modernisation, it is difficult to get in touch with this nature. There needs to be a controlled and safe space where humans and animals can interact without worrying. With this shared passion and belief, Pat a Pet Cafe was conceptualised as a cafe where cats, and any other pets, could safely share the same space as people.

Not only is Pat a Pet bringing in a wholesome and safe space for people and animals to interact, but also taking steps to introduce vegan food at affordable prices. Their vegan menu offers a range of savoury and sweet bites, coffee with milk substitutes, and many more. However, this is not the primary mission of the cafe. Instead, the focus is on establishing an animal-friendly culture. Even if one is not vegan or vegetarian, once you go to the cafe to pet a few cats, you would be tempted to try their menu in the meantime. In all likelihood, you will not even be able to tell the difference. Other than the cats zooming around, the cafe is brought to life with the addition of live music. As a fun place for both people and animals, Pat a Pet also carries delicious treats for the cats and your pets, including custom cakes. 

Pat a Pet Cafe is slowly introducing a new environment for cafes with its animal-friendly ambiance, vegan menu, and waste-reducing steps. Moreover, while maintaining their business model, they are creating a relaxing space where one can enjoy music, pet a few cats, and get in touch with a lifestyle kinder to nature.