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SocietyPoland

At this Polish teahouse cats, not customers, are king

Adrianna Borowicz in Lodz, Poland
April 5, 2025

In most cafes and teahouses around the world, the customer is king. Not so in this teahouse in the Polish city of Lodz, where human customers happily play second fiddle to the star attraction: the cats.

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The Kocie Oczy (Cat's Eyes) teahouse in the city of Lodz in central Poland is no regular teahouse. People come here not only for tea and cake, but also to spend time with the establishment's six feline residents.

Kocie Oczy first opened its doors about 10 years ago. Even then, it was devoted to all things feline and catered to cat lovers. In the meantime, however, the owners of the teahouse have taken things one step further, rescuing six abandoned cats and making the teahouse their home. 

Today, Ola the cat is celebrating her 10th birthday. The guests — all human — arrive bearing gifts and treats. But there is no loud music and chatter at this party. Here, everything is tailored to make the cats feel comfortable and at ease. Luckily, all of Ola's guests are happy to comply.

DW's Adrianna Borowicz was invited to the party.