The first cat cafe, Meow Cafe has opened in the Gaza Strip on Thursday; this is the first of its kind in the Gaza Strip after the trend went global.
Residents flocked to the cafe on Thursday looking to escape the territory's persistent problems.
The cafe's founder Naema Mabed, 52, told the Associated Press that she envisioned the spot as a unique escape from the pressures of life in Gaza.
The Gaza Strip has few recreational options and a youth unemployment rate for graduates of 73.9% according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, unemployment has been high in the Gaza Strip since the terrorist group Hamas violently took control in 2007.
Mabed offers a drink service and encourages the guests to head straight to the cat corner to play with cats.
Visitors must cover their shoes with plastic and wash their hands before cuddling the cats.
The global anto-depressant
“I have spent my life raising cats, and they’re a source of joy and quiet, a release of pressures,” Mabed told AP.
She described cats as a “global anti-depressant”.
There are 10 resident cats at the cafe with some named Tom, Dot, Simba, and Phoenix.
The cats are not up for adoption as Mabed has formed a strong bond with her feline friends.
“The feeling, honestly, is that you just come to feel the psychological comfort of the cats,” said 23-year-old Eman Omar.
The entrance fee is a low 5 Israeli shekels for half an hour of time with the cats.
Places of refuge, such as this cat cafe, can be a safe haven from all the chaos and hardships which plague the Gaza Strip, giving its residents a much-needed mental break from it.
“Any place that provides humans a kind of interaction with animals has a positive psychological impact,” Psychologist Bahzad al-Akhras said.
Some residents criticized the move to pay to play with cats as ridiculous, citing the fact that stray cats roam much of Gaza City's streets.