Catmosphere Cat Cafe Closes, Rescue Mission Continues

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — The dream of Laguna Beach's Catmosphere has been put on hold for the foreseeable future as owners shuttered the Forest Avenue "cat cafe" over the weekend.

Lauded by the Travel Channel, Catmosphere Laguna was a nationally recognized "must-see" destination and "can't-miss" experience. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the owners were forced to close their doors on Saturday, allowing nearly 50 people to adopt cats and kittens before the end of business on Small Saturday.

It was "out of an abundance of caution" that Gail Landau decided to close the Catmosphere to the public.

Over the past two years, Landau has helped over 200 cats find their permanent homes, she says. Built on the premise that began in Japan, she capitalized on the "Cat Cafe" craze with her take on the combination rescue and restaurant. As many as ten cat lovers were invited inside at a time, to the tune of $22 each. According to a report in the OC Register, an additional 14 people could dine inside the little restaurant.

Cafe customers could watch the kitties at play through a glass window and, hopefully, take one of them home.

The pandemic limited the number of people who could visit the storefront on Forest Avenue, and business costs were too high to keep the doors open. However, she will continue to run the Catmosphere Laguna Foundation.

"While these times are tough and uncharted for all of us, we know this decision is part of the solution to restore the health and happiness of our community. We ask that you please consider sponsoring one of our rescues during this time with a donation. Your support means the world to us – especially during these times of uncertainty.

We look forward to opening our doors and welcoming you in again soon."

For more information on adopting from this organization, call 949-619-6369 or visit catmospherelaguna.com.