Top 5 Things for Animal Lovers to do in BC this Summer
Image via Catfe’s official Facebook page.
Image via Catfe’s official Facebook page.
Go to Vancouver’s “Catfe”
FRESH GROUND BEANS, HUGE WINDOWS, A BEAUTIFUL VIEW- AND A WHOLE CAST OF CATS! IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A GREAT PHOTO DESTINATION, OR MAYBE JUST AN EXCUSE TO PET SOME KITTIES, CHECK OUT VANCOUVER’S CATFE!
Opening its doors in 2015, Vancouvers Catfe was the first cat cafe of its kind in the city, and in North America! Talk about im-purr-sive!
Catfe hosts sessions in increments of just under an hour, so it’s perfect for an afternoon, or a short visit on a busy day. If you’re looking for something a bit longer, don’t worry, they also offer Cat Life-Drawing Classes, which are a little less than 2 hours, where you’ll follow along with an expert artist to draw your very own cat life drawing.
Catfe hosts anywhere from 10 to 20 cats at a time, from ages ranging to kittens, to senior cats! While you’re playing and petting the cats, Catfe offers a variety of special cat-themed coffee and treats, as well as a large selection of food items, toys, and more available to buy.
Not only will you get to form a feline friendship at Catfe, you’ll also get to support local animal shelters and cat organizations! Catfe is partnered with local shelters to help foster cats while they’re waiting for their forever homes, and helps cover a portion of their vet bills, and other costs.
And, if you really get attached to a certain cat, there are open adoption applications available right in the cafe.
IF YOU’RE CAT-SENSITIVE, ALLERGIC, OR EVEN CAT-AVERSE, YOU SHOULD INSTEAD, CHECK OUT…
2. Check out The Bunny Cafe
RUN BY THE SAME FOLKS AS VANCOUVER'S CATFE, THE BUNNY CAFE WAS OPENED A FEW SHORT YEARS AFTER CATFE.
The Bunny Cafe is actually the first of its kind in all of North America. Signing up and booking a reservation gets you access to a whole group of friendly buns, and a vegetable treat you can give to them, too.
At The Bunny Cafe, you can get any classic coffee drink, in addition to the bun-derful vegan-friendly bunny themed treats!
The Bunny Cafe is partnered with a rescue organization, Rabbitats Rescue, to foster and help socialize rabbits before they find their fur-ever homes! Additionally, adoption applications are available inside the Cafe.
JUST LIKE CATFE, THE INCREMENTS OF TIME ARE RELATIVELY SHORT, SO IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING A BIT LONGER, YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT…
Image via The Bunny Cafe official Facebook page.
Image via The Bunny Cafe official Facebook page
meowfest 2019
meowfest 2018
3. Attending meowfest 2022
LOOKING FOR SOMETHING THAT TAKES A LITTLE MORE TIME? MAYBE YOU’RE TRYING TO GET IN A WHOLE DAY OF ANIMAL PETTING, AND CUTENESS OVERLOAD. WELL, MEOWFEST HAS GOT YOU COVERED.
Started in 2018, meowfest is an annual cat festival with speaker panels, cat celebrity meet & greets, a whole cat-themed market of vendors, and so much more. This festival has dozens of activities, from cat toothbrush demonstrations, to yes, even speed-dating.
meowfest is actually the largest cat festival in all of Canada, attracting thousands of event-goers, raising tens of thousands of dollars for local shelters and best of all, adopting out dozens of cats to their fur-ever homes every year!
If you’re looking for something that has a large variety of options for cat lovers, meowfest is the way to go. With nearly a full day of things to do, meowfest is best for people looking to spend a whole day doing something.
MAYBE YOU’RE WONDERING, “HEY, WHAT ABOUT EVENTS FOR PEOPLE LIKE ME? THE DOG LOVERS? THE BELLY SCRATCHERS AND TENNIS-BALL THROWERS?” WELL DON’T WORRY, YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY CHECK OUT OUR NEXT EVENT…
4. Go to Pet-a-Palooza
THE LARGEST PET CONVENTION IN ALL OF THE WEST COAST, PET-A-PALOOZA ATTRACTS TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE EVERY YEAR.
Rather than being located in the same city, like meowfest, Pet-a-Palooza is a traveling event, rolling out at different times of the year depending on your location on the west coast. Luckily, the Vancouver stop is right in that summer window
Pet-a-palooza welcomes all pets, but is mainly a dog-focused event, with the ability to bring your dog to try sample treats, food, accessories, and toys!
Some of the many events you can attend at Pet-a-Palooza, are Puppy Yoga, English Bulldog races, Dog pool parties, Doggie Brunches, and so much more!
Pet-a-Pallooza started a few years ago, and has been increasing in attendee numbers ever since. A portion of ticket sales go to Dog Adoption efforts, as well as Vancouver SPCA organizations. In addition to this, there is a dog adoption fair at Pet-a-Palooza, giving any pet lover the opportunity to add another member to their family.
PET-A-PALOOZA, LIKE MEOWFEST, IS AN ALL-DAY EVENT, SO MAKE SURE YOU PLAN ON STICKING AROUND FOR AWHILE. IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING THAT YOU COULD DO ANY DAY, AND NOT JUST THE SPECIFIC DAY OF THE EVENT, YOU SHOULD CONSIDER…
5. Volunteering at LAPS
THE LANGLEY ANIMAL PROTECTION SOCIETY, OR LAPS, IS AN ANIMAL RESCUE ORGANIZATION BASED OUTSIDE OF VANCOUVER.
LAPS is always looking for volunteers, and is a great way to not only get the opportunity to hang out with some furry friends, but also a chance to give back to the community, and help the animals that need it the most.
From dog walking, to community service and outreach, to fostering a kitten at your own home, LAPS has volunteer opportunities for any level of engagement. After attending a short orientation about the guidelines and mission of LAPS, you can help maintain one of the largest, and most important cat societies in all of Vancouver.
LAPS is also a great spot to visit if you’re thinking of adding a pet to your family. The adoption fee covers a portion of the extensive training given to each and every animal that goes through LAPS. LAPS rescues and trains cats, and dogs for all kinds of energy levels, experience, and house size, so even if you aren’t looking to adopt or foster, you can still help walk, or socialize an animal regardless of prior experience.