“They are like family" ❤️️
The Cat Café Lviv has been open in Lviv, Ukraine, for over six years and has come to mean a lot to everyone who’s involved.
“I have a small team of several close people who have been working with me for several years and have become my closest friends,” Serhii Oliinyk, owner of Cat Café Lviv. “The cats have also gotten used to these people, who help to take care of them and who play with them when there are few guests because our fluffy residents love people's attention.”
The café houses 20 cats who love to hang out with the guests while they enjoy a meal or drink. It’s been a safe place for the people of Lviv, a place where they can come to forget and just play with cats who are always excited to see them.
Many Ukrainians are currently fleeing the country in light of the Russian invasion, but not Oliinyk. He and his family are staying at the café.
“Our cats have been living in [the] cat café since the age of 4 months,” Oliinyk said. “They are like family. We realized that we would never leave our country, that this was the only place where we could see ourselves in the future.”
Despite the invasion, the Cat Café Lviv has decided to stay open. They’ll continue to provide a safe space for people to stop by and say hi to the cats, which is something that the people of Ukraine may need now more than ever.
“We currently have fewer regular visitors, but there are people who have come from other cities and need hot food and positive emotions,” Oliinyk said. “There are three large rooms in our café, two of which are located in the basement, so in case of an air raid warning, there is a safe shelter for our guests and cats.”
The cats at the Cat Café Lviv are a part of Oliinyk’s family, so they’re staying together, no matter what.