Halfway to cat cow: Calgarians enjoy kitty yoga for a cause

Calgary cat café hosts unique yoga class Cats searching for forever homes joined a Calgary yoga class Saturday. Timm Bruch reports

Cats searching for their forever homes darted in and out of eager yogis in Kensington Saturday morning.

The Regal Cat Cafe hosted its weekly Yoga with Kitties class, a chance for cat-lovers to strike a pose with an adoptable animal.

It's hosted by the Meow Foundation and raises money for cat care.

"The foundation is a cat rescue foundation based out of Calgary," Jason Murray said. "We've been in operation for about 22 years and in that time, we positively impacted the lives of 42,000 cats."

The class comes with a free drink from the cafe, and all tickets and store sales benefit the charity.

Carolyn Cameron hosts the beginners session.

"When you first arrive in the room and unroll your mat, it's almost like there's catnip on it," she told CTV News. "Immediately, the cats all flock to you, jump on your mat and start rolling around and having fun."

Saturday's class included seven cats who played with participants, swatted at downward dog ponytails and jumped on moving backs.

"It's a chance to experience the less serious side of yoga," Cameron said. "You're moving your body and you're being mindful, but you're also just living in the moment and experiencing a lot of joy."

For information about tickets, visit the cafe's online event page.