It may be a little catty to say that New York’s cafe society is going to the dogs. But before you enter the Meow Parlor on the lower east side, you have to remove your shoes, sanitize your hands and sign a waiver. You also have to bring your own coffee, and if you fancy an accompanying sweet, it must be purchased from the Meow’s bakery around the corner. This cat cafe only provides cats. And even then, you can pat them but you cannot pull their tails. So for those of us who could never be considered ‘cat people’, and would only venture into the vicinity when the cattery was actually closed, we have to wonder if the parlor is a feline fetish, or another ‘only in New York’ experience. The answer is yes and no.

There are cat cafes all over the world – Japan, Europe, Dubai – even Melbourne has one. So New York has come to the party late. But with this and another cafe called Little Lions about to launch, there’s a new circus in town.

In an era where comfort animals are the new must-have prescription, the Meow Parlor is catering to a need. More like a demand. The cafe only opened before Christmas and is already booked out weeks in advance. Free wifi means patrons can work there all day once they have their spot, and at $4 per 30 minutes it’s cheap therapy. Travelers who miss their moggies can pop in for a pat. Likewise tenants in no-pet apartments. But for those needing caffeine rather than feline, there are two great alternatives around the corner – one for optimists, a surf shop serving expresso, and the other for locals who would rather get mugged than meowed…