A cat café is coming to Fresno: ‘I’ve always had a passion for cats’

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The goal of making Fresno’s first Cat Cafe a reality is no small feat, but the couple behind that dream says it is worth every obstacle they face along the way.

Mike Hsiao and Kira Thomson describe themselves as the “big cheese” and “head cheese” of Cat Touch This Cat Cafe.

Their plan is to bring the cafe to Fresno’s Valley Animal Center – and the new business is not the only adventure they are embarking on together.

“We just got engaged in June,” Hsiao said. “I met her 10 years ago – after 2020, she was single and I was single and then a romance started.”

Hsiao says his extensive background in business, growing up as a vendor with his family, drove him to push Thomson to pursue her dream of opening up a cat cafe in Fresno.

“I’ve always had a passion for cats,” Thomson said. “About two years ago, I started selling things at vendor shows to raise money for it. We had a sign saying, ‘Help us open a cat cafe.'”

According to Thomson, she and Hsiao began figuring out the logistics of opening a cat cafe and started visiting cat cafes across California and other states.

“We’ve also did a ton of like, field research. So we’ve been to a lot of cat cafes,” Thomson said. “You can’t just like throw cats and have coffee in the same space.”

Thomson and Hsiao say their vision for a cat cafe at the Valley Animal Center will allow potential customers to book a time there. Then, once customers make it to the cafe, they will be able to take advantage of complimentary commissary items and locally sourced items like coffee and baked goods.

“Our focus is really on the cat lounge part of the business, the adoption model,” Hsiao said. “We’re going to try and accommodate as many people as we can to get people exposed to as many cats as we can, so we can get as many cats adopted as possible.”

After a long, hard journey raising funds, Thomson and Hsiao finally secured a location and a lease at the Valley Animal Center and started the long, hard journey of making their dream come true.

“Everything that I had anticipated on the high end is coming in, and it’s hurting,” Hsiao said. “Yeah, it’s a very difficult process.”

Hsiao says that the undertaking has been stressful, but being able to go through with Thomson has made every little bit worth it.

“Fresno is going to get its first cat cafe, whether I do it or not,” Hsiao said. “I would love to be a part of that, and doing this with her allows me to fill that dream that I have to help the community as well.”

An opening date for Fresno’s first cat cafe has not been set. Thomson says those who want to know when it’s opening should follow cattouchthiscf on Instagram for updates ahead of the cafe’s launch at the Valley Animal Center.