Lazy Cat Cafe is part coffee shop, part petting zoo and is a place to sip cool drinks and play with cute kitties.

Though common in Asia, Toronto hasn't had a cat cafe of its own since Meow Cat Cafe closed its doors in 2018.

By bringing the concept back to Canada, owner Sunny Xu and manager Edison Kao hope to create a space where animals and people can relax together.

Both Sunny and Edison are animal lovers with a particular fondness for cats. Before opening the cafe, they were proud pet owners with a veritable legion of fur-babies.

"To me, animals are not just animals," Edison explains. "They have souls. They have spirits."

For this reason, precautions have been taken to ensure the animals' safety. Instead of allowing the cats to roam freely, as is the norm overseas, they are kept in a separate playroom filled with toys, scratching posts and wall-mounted play structures.

Not only does this protect the cats from potential harm, it keeps the dining area free of fur and dander.The dining room itself is small but comfortable, with plain white walls, circular tables and pastel accents. Edison told blogTO that more decorations will be added over time, but I personally found the simplicity quite charming.The cafe's "wish wall" can be found to the left of the entrance. Here, you can write wishes or messages on sticky notes and display them for others to see.

While Lazy Cat does accept walk-ins, the playroom is only available by reservation. The entry fee is $29.99 per person and covers a refillable drink, a dessert and up to one hour with the cats.

The menu takes inspiration from Asian cuisine, most notably Chinese and Japanese desserts. Bright colours abound, making almost every meal a moment worth sharing on social media.

Despite its impressive ombre, the Iced Blue Coconut has a light, creamy taste similar to milk, though you'll need to stir it if you want the flavour to kick in. I'm not usually a fan of coconut, but this drink managed to win me over.

The Snowcap Strawberry Matcha mixes matcha iced tea with strawberry puree and tops it with a mountain of whipped cream. Pink sprinkles act as the proverbial cherry on top of this bittersweet beverage.The Brown Sugar Snowcap Coffee is a sweet iced coffee with a toffee-like aftertaste. It's not too different from your everyday Iced Capp, but sometimes you can't go wrong with a classic.

Lazy Cat's selection of desserts is set to change on a monthly basis. All cakes are made in-house and served with cream. The Tiger Skin Roll Cake is based on a popular Chinese pastry and gets its name from the striking brown and yellow pattern that runs along the edge. Don't be fooled by its distinctive appearance: like the Iced Blue Coconut, this dish is milder than it looks.The Vanilla Swiss Roll is longer and thinner than the Tiger Skin, with a pleasantly spongy texture that reminds me a little of Uncle Tetsu's cheesecake. Once you've eaten your fill, you can trade your shoes for slippers and visit the playroom. You're required to wash your hands before handling the cats, and visitors under the age of eighteen must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Lazy Cat is home to over a dozen cats, all of whom are eager for human companionship. There's even a hairless cat, who is just as affectionate as his furry friends.

All of these pretty kitties were rescued from local shelters and many are available for adoption. If you happen to hit it off with a particular cat, ask a staff member whether they're up for grabs. You might just leave with a new friend!

Lazy Cat Cafe is located at 880 Ellesmere Rd, Unit 3.