Lauren Pears, an Australian entrepreneur, is about to launch the country's first 'cat café' in London, where aficionados of felines will be able to enjoy a cappuccino in the company of ... a cat.

Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium is aimed at city dwellers who are unable to have their own pet, novelty seekers, parents and tourists.

At this stage, Ms Pears intends to have around 10 cats in the café, with up to 50 people having coffee with them at any one time.

Interest in the new café has been phenomenal: over £100,000 has been raised for the project so far, via the crowd-funding website Indiegogo, and over 3000 pre-sales tickets sent to those people who have invested.

Meanwhile the British Small Animal Veterinary Association has highlighted some of the potential problems with the concept. BSAVA President Professor Michael Day said: "While some cats appear content living in groups and interacting with human strangers, other cats can be very stressed in these circumstances. It isn't always easy to identify whether a cat is suffering from stress - this is often missed or misinterpreted. For example, inactivity can be seen as contentment, but they are actually internalising their anxiety. The input of a veterinary behaviourist and appropriate staff training will be essential."

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