A pet prescription

A pet prescription

September 2017

By Zahabiya Ali

Cat Cafe Studio, a Mumbai based cafe has opened its doors to a number of stray felines. The cafe is home to around 40 cats which people visit to have brownies and coffee not with their dates, but with the cats! The cafe was started by cinematographer Mriidu Khosla in 2010 and coexists with Zcyphher Studios, her main enterprise. The idea is to facilitate the adoption of stray cats. “My aim is to create a community of artists and animal lovers,” says she. Till date, close to 200 adoptions have taken place.

It is being observed that a pet prescription can remedy all sorts of problems. Enjoying the company of a therapy dog, or even playing with your pet cat can be beneficial to your overall well-being. Scientific evidence proves that petting dogs is an effective means of relieving anxiety, hypertension, loneliness and stress. It increases the release of feel-good hormones in animals and humans, reducing the pulse rate and blood pressure. People feel more comfortable being themselves around animals. Also, animals often aid therapy in hospitals and nursing homes.

The cafe only keep cats who have been rescued by them or their friends, and does proper investigation before any adoption. The staff, which has fallen in love with these little angels, take utmost care of them. “I consider myself lucky to work in a place where you can go and take a nap with a cat; they help you unwind and brace up for things as they come,” says Manil, one of the staff at the cafe. He adds, “I have observed a significant growth in myself. While working at the cafe, my love and understanding of animals has increased.” On a mission to rescue injured and ill strays, a veterinary doctor, Dr Swali has been visiting the studio regularly for the last five years. The group also hold spay drives for strays every second week. They also work to create awareness about basic animal care which they say is low in the country.

“I believe all of us go through  phases of insecurities, no matter how great our lives may be. And like most people, I too face this phase from time to time. But when I was surrounded with people who care for creatures other than themselves, I believe, I was in the presence of ‘true love,” writes a visitor Sidhant Bakshi about his visit, on the cafe’s Facebook page. Isn't it true for the whole humanity?