National Times Bureau, Aug 2, 2025: Forget crowded bars or noisy brunch spots. The coolest new hangouts in cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, and Mumbai are places where your latte comes with a wagging tail or a curious whisker. Pet cafés, once niche, are now the go-to weekend plan for young adults looking to unwind with furry friends and maybe snap the perfect Instagram reel.
In these cafés, visitors can sip coffee, nibble on pastries, and spend hours cuddling dogs or cats. Many of the animals are rescues waiting for adoption, giving the cafés a social cause beyond the cute aesthetic. It’s a win-win: people get therapy-like comfort, and animals get socialized and sometimes find forever homes.
“I started coming here after stressful weeks at work,” says Niharika, 26, who now visits her local dog café every Sunday. “No matter how bad the week has been, a puppy’s face instantly resets my mood.”
The rise of pet cafés taps into two cultural shifts: the mental health conversation and the surge of pet love among urban millennials. With growing awareness around stress and burnout, people are seeking accessible ways to relax. Spending time with animals has been shown to lower blood pressure, ease anxiety, and release feel-good hormones like oxytocin.
The cafés also offer a taste of pet parenthood for those who can’t commit full-time due to city life constraints. In bustling metros, landlords often refuse tenants with pets, and cramped apartments can make pet ownership tough. Pet cafés fill that gap, providing animal interaction without long-term responsibility.
Owners of these cafés say weekends are always booked out. Some even host events like doggy birthday parties, puppy yoga sessions, or “catflix” movie nights, where guests watch films surrounded by purring cats. Many cafés partner with adoption agencies, letting animal lovers take home a new friend if they fall in love.
The cafés’ success isn’t just about coffee or cuteness. It’s about creating a space where joy comes on four paws and a wagging tail, and where taking a break from city chaos means sharing a quiet moment with a furry therapist.
