The only time Powder appeared remotely interested in the humans occupying his space was when they all bowed towards him in yoga鈥檚 child鈥檚 pose, much like a deity worshiped by his unwavering followers. Those who don鈥檛 have any fun at all would label that description as being a tad anthropomorphic, but those familiar with the feline species would agree it鈥檚 likely not far from the truth.
Powder is the name given to the three-year-old all-white cat; he is friendly yet independent according, to the adoptions information board on the wall of 颁补迟蹿茅, and he was one of six present for the Valentine鈥檚 Day edition of the Cats on Your Mats session hosted in conjunction withand .
Tables and chairs were pushed to the side to make way for the yoga mats in the city鈥檚 first cat and coffee shop where patrons, during regular business hours, can buy a drink and something to eat and hang out with cats supplied by the BC SPCA. It鈥檚 a cat showroom of sorts 鈥� people are welcome to apply to adopt any of the cats in the 颁补迟蹿茅. It鈥檚 a dream concept for cat lovers; non-cat people are easily sniffed as soon as they hear about it and ask if visitors are, har har, allowed to bring their own cats along to the coffee shop.
While Sunday morning鈥檚 session of Cats on Your Mats marked the fourth one, it was the first time it was held at 颁补迟蹿茅, and the first time yoga instructor and Stretch owner Emmanuelle Rousseau taught the class.
鈥淧eople definitely come for the cats over the yoga,鈥� she said. 鈥淎ll of our teachers were kinda thrown off by that because, well, you just can鈥檛 ask people to close their eyes in class 鈥� that鈥檚 just not fair.鈥�
The previous three sessions were held at the nearby Stretch studio with cats on loan from foster families with the . The first session in September was chaos, not only because it was the first time yoga with cats had occurred outside somebody鈥檚 private living room, but because most of the felines in attendance were kittens. Rousseau was too pregnant to lead the second session in October, and had just given birth when the third happened at the end of January.
Since the idea of combining cats and yoga in 麻豆传媒映画was hers in the first place, Rousseau, an animal lover who once pursued veterinary care in school, said she was thrilled to finally teach a session. It was evident given her attire 鈥� leggings with cat-faces 鈥� and the fact she started the class by asking everybody鈥檚 names, as well as their cat鈥檚 names. A cat owner herself, Rousseau let the class keep a phone camera nearby to capture any cat-on-mat yoga moments, as well as decreeing the downward dog position would be replaced with downward cat during Cats on Your Mats.
Rousseau is also fully aware it鈥檚 fashionable to be into cats. Case in point: one of Sunday鈥檚 participants wore a T-shirt with a print of, considered by many as one of the Top-10 power cats of the Internet.
鈥淐ats, all of a sudden, have become cool,鈥� said Rousseau. 鈥淏efore it was not cool, now it鈥檚 OK to be a cat lady. It鈥檚 not just about ladies with purple hair, purple clothing, and purple everything.鈥�
颁补迟蹿茅 owner and operator Michelle Furbacher said she never tires of seeing evidence the cat caf茅 idea is working in Vancouver. Furbacher initially heard about a cat caf茅 in Japan, and then aired the idea in her local circles, wondering if such a concept might work.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really cool to see how many people just want to come and hang out with cats. I love seeing photos on social media people have taken of little moments they鈥檝e shared with the cats,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he thing about this business is that it鈥檚 so unpredictable and it鈥檚 totally different every day, every week. All the cats are so different, in the way they interact with each other as well, so you never really know what you鈥檙e going to get.鈥�
Adopting a cat from such an environment is appealing, too, as 颁补迟蹿茅 is a cheerful place with cubby holes, cat tunnels and cat toys.
And the idea is working. 颁补迟蹿茅, which only receives cats that are socialized, ran out of four-legged stock within a month of opening, and even on Sunday, four of the seven cats available 鈥� including Powder 鈥� had adoptions pending.
Funds raised from this month鈥檚 Cats on Your Mats went towards 颁补迟蹿茅鈥檚 rescue organization of the month 鈥� . Check Stretch鈥檚 list of classes at stretchvancouver.com to find out about the next edition of Cats on Your Mats.
@rebeccablissett
