Do you like to practice yoga from time to time? Do you also enjoy cats? Then do I have some great news for you. Cats and yoga are coming together for the cutest fitness trend yet.
Cat yoga classes are starting to pop up all over the country after a video of a super-successful one in Illinois went viral this past summer. Yoga At Connie’s in Latham, Illinois, partnered with the Homeward Bound Pet Shelter to bring in some fluffy participants for a very special yoga experience. They let a number of adoptable cats roam free during the class in order to raise money for the shelter. Not only did they end up raising $500, one of the cats in attendance got adopted. And, of course, everyone burned calories and left feeling extremely centered. All in all it was a pretty successful endeavor.
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“The ones that were really active really made the class a lot of fun,” Connie told The Dodo. “They jumped on the students and kissed them. One had their butt in my face, but we had so much fun with them.”
Since then the fitness trend has begun to sweep the nation and may actually be available in a city or town near you. If you love cats but don’t actually have any of your own, this is a fantastic way to meet some in a relaxed, fun environment and possibly form an everlasting bond. Jeanette Skaluba, a shelter volunteer, said that “by taking the cats to something like a yoga class, people have the opportunity see and interact with them outside the shelter. It gives these cats exposure and shows their personality. I think people can envision these pets in their home easier because they’re outside the shelter.”
Cats and yoga go perfectly together because they either quietly watch or playfully weave in and out of your various poses. It’s for this reason that I love doing yoga at home — my cats constantly crack me up with how curious they are about what I’m doing. The best part is when they jump on my back when I’m in plank or fall over on my head when I’m doing lying down positions. Not only are they adorable, they make great focal points for balancing in trickier poses.
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If this sounds like a good time to you, here are some places around the country where you can experience cat yoga yourself.
1. KitTea SF
San Francisco cat cafe @KitTea_SF offers "Fitness with Felines" yoga classes. http://t.co/ry7dZl2D0Mpic.twitter.com/rQcv3viNCg
— NBC Bay Area (@nbcbayarea) October 15, 2015
KitTea is an adorable cat cafe in San Francisco that also happens to offer regular yoga classes. Check out their website for the schedule and definitely nab some tea, sandwiches and maybe even a furry friend while you’re there!
2. Crumbs & Whiskers, Washington, D.C.
Things that happen when you do cat yoga: you get displaced by significantly superior beings. #itsmymatnowpic.twitter.com/BKdNKxK7sa
— Crumbs & Whiskers (@Crumbs_Whiskers) September 22, 2015
Sure, this kitty might be judging your fallen triangle pose, but it also might just as easily be dreaming about catnip. is D.C.’s first cat cafe, and aside from the cutest yoga class you’ll ever take, they have fabulous-looking cake.
3. Meow Parlour, New York City, New York
Meow Parlour is New York City’s first permanent cat cafe, and it’s just as glorious as it looks (trust me, I’ve been there… many times). Apart from excellent macaroons, they have regular yoga classes on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays. They run about an hour and a half and include 45 minutes of yoga, 30 minutes of cat-cuddle warm ups and a 15 minute cool down.
4. Purrington’s Cat Lounge in Portland, Oregon
https://twitter.com/purringtons/status/675000813794648065
OK, this place looks amazing. They do cat yoga every Wednesday night, and they have regular cat movie nights. What combination could be more fun?
5. Cat Town, Oakland, California
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Cat yoga is offered every third Thursday of the month at America’s first cat cafe, Cat Town.
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