Sisters Ellie and Sarah Close, the owners of a Manchester, UK cat cafe, believe they have been targeted by arsonists after a fire broke out in the early hours of this morning. Fortunately, none of the 11 feline residents of the cafe were injured in the blaze, but the staff are badly shaken by the incident.
According to the Manchester Evening News:
The sisters believe somebody tried to smash a window near the reception on High Street before setting fire to a pile of rubbish outside, causing the glass to crack in the heat. “There are pressurised cans that could have exploded,” Ellie said. “It might just be somebody being stupid but it feels a bit targeted.”
Firefighters were called to the scene around 2 am and police have confirmed they are investigating it as a suspected arson attack.
This morning, Cat Cafe Manchester wrote on their Facebook page:
We are really saddened by the recent attack on Cat Cafe. We just want to make you all aware that no cats or staff were injured by the incident. We are still open for business whilst the repairs to our reception take place. We will not let this act of hate deter us and will continue to try and make the world a happier place one cat cuddle at a time.
