Fancy a fluffy to gowith that latte?

Takeaway coffee and cats could soon go hand in hand in Lower Hutt, Wellington.

Ken and Richelle Okada, from the suburb of Korokoro, plan to open the capital region’s first cat cafe later this year.

The couple are currently negotiating with property owners over an old restaurant in Bunny Street, Lower Hutt, opposite Queensgate Shopping Centre.

‘‘We want to provide a warm place for people to come into contact with adoptable cats,’’ Richelle Okada said.

Depending on how the process goes, the Okadas hope to be set up in their new cafe, called Neko Ngeru, by mid-winter this year.

‘‘People will get to keep coming back and playing with the cats. The advantage is that your cat will be really sociable too,’’ she said.

While there are at least two cat cafes in Auckland as well as one in Rotorua, Neku Ngeru will be the first of its kind in Wellington.

The cafe will host between 15 and 20 cats at a time and people keen to share a cappuccino with a feline friend will have to book in advance for a one hour slot.

The cats themselves will come from local shelters and all will be available for adoption.

Richelle Okada said a few shelters had already signed on, including Porirua’s Outpawed Rescue Trust, Upper Hutt Animal Rescue Society and Hataitai’s FeralNation and Cat Rehabilitation.

The pair had also been working with Hutt City Council to make sure everything was above board for health and safety.

‘‘Everywhere that there’s food prep there won’t be any cats.’’

Double doors would have to be installed between cat areas and food areas, although once the food reached people’s tables, they could move into the cat area themselves.

Richelle Okada said they were learning the best way to set their cafe up from looking to the other cafes up north to see how they coped with safety issues.

The pair have two cats they are currently fostering, called Jesse and Tonraq and have volunteered with cat adoption agencies before.

Both of them have worked round the world as teachers and during a stint in Shanghai, they helped out adoption agency Bow Meow, organising adoption drives.

ELEANOR WENMAN/ FAIRFAX NZ Ken Okada and his wife, Richelle, holding their two foster cats Jesse and Tonraq. The couple are planning to open Wellington’s first cat cafe in Lower Hutt later this year.