Enjoying a coffee and a cake amidst a horde of friendly, furry felines is obviously the main attraction of any cat café, but if you run a cat café or intend to open one, you will also need to make sure your café is attractively decorated. With new cat cafés springing up in towns and cities every year, some eye-catching decor can help your café stand out from the growing crowd.
Cacti can be an attractive addition to any room and are particularly useful for decorating cat cafés because of their hardiness and low-maintenance requirements. However, it is important to make sure that the cacti you decorate your cat café with are cat-friendly -- this means no spines and no cacti that are poisonous to cats when eaten (such as aloe vera). Here are some of the best types of cat-safe cacti for decorating cat cafés, which can generally be found at any good succulent plant store or nursery.
Christmas cactus
The Christmas cactus is a member of the Schlumbergera family of cacti and is a common sight in many homes during its eponymous holiday season. Although there are a huge variety of Christmas cactus cultivars and derivatives, they can all be recognised by their drooping, spine-free leaves and the colourful, elegant flowers that bloom in late spring to early summer.
All known Christmas cactus cultivars are cat safe and do not contain any toxins that can harm cats when ingested. They are particularly useful for decorating smaller cat cafés, as they thrive in warm, humid environments are are very tolerant of shade. With regular fertilisation and care, they can also be induced to produce flowers year-round.
Spineless prickly pear
Prickly pears are an iconic cactus, but the sharp spines that give them their evocative name make them unsuitable for a busy cat café. Fortunately, succulent breeders have created prickly pear varieties that completely lack spines, creating a unique, eye-catching cactus that can grow to a remarkably large size.
With no spines to worry about, a spineless prickly pear poses no threat to the cats in your café. It is also completely non-toxic to both cats and humans and has edible fruits that can actually be a good source of vitamins and minerals for cats with adventurous palates. They do require a decent amount of sun exposure to thrive (so put them close to a window) but are otherwise extremely hardy and require very little water or fertiliser.
Old man cactus
These cacti are instantly recognisable; instead of spines, these unique plants sport an outer layer of fine, shaggy white 'hair' that is not sharp or irritating. Their main bodies are covered with small but sharp spines, but the protective layer of hair usually deters cats from touching the cactus itself. Since they contain no substances poisonous to cats, this makes them an excellent choice for decorating any cat café.
While old man cacti are as hardy and low-maintenance as most cacti, you may need to brush their 'coats' occasionally to remove dust and cat hair. Make sure that they get lots of sunlight, as they tend to go 'bald' when left in the shade.
Reach out to a company that sells succulents to learn more.
