Kitty Cafe in Leeds now runs yoga classes with cats

The cat yoga class in full swing (pic: Kitty Cafe Facebook)

Kitty Cafe in Leeds has added yoga classes to its schedule of evening activities.

Burglars break into Kitty Cafe and steal donations boxes and tipsThe cafe on Kirkgate held a class last week in which participants were surrounded by some of the 35 resident felines.

The event, which cost £20 to attend, was such a success that more cat yoga sessions are planned.

As well as being open in the daytime, Kitty Cafe runs a range of special events after hours, including singles nights, adult-only sessions, board games evenings and bingo. Also on the schedule of upcoming entertainment is a drag queen-themed tea party with live performances on April 19.

Owner Kate Charles-Richards is also in the process of applying for a marriage licence to enable Kitty Cafe to host weddings.

Kate opened her first Kitty Cafe site in Nottingham four years ago, before converting a former bank in Leeds into a feline haven in late 2017. She's also recently announced plans to open a cat cafe in Birmingham, and has received over 3,000 job applications already.

The cats are sourced from local rescue charities and are all available for adoption. They have a private cattery that they can retreat to away from the customer areas.

The resident cats have access to a cat snug, bespoke play areas and the UK's largest scratching post, which is over two metres tall.

Natural materials were used as much as possible and the air conditioning is set to a feline-friendly temperature.

50,000 people visited Kitty Cafe Leeds in the first six months, with some coming from as far afield as the USA, and 20 cats found new homes. Booking slots filled up within days of the Kitty Cafe announcing its opening date.

You can only visit if you pre-book a table online - there's a booking fee on top of your food and drink bill. There's also a membership scheme that gives you access to unlimited visits in return for a subscription fee. Customers are expected to respect the house rules, which includes not feeding the cats, disturbing them when they're sleeping or picking them up.