Sydney Dining Hotspot Nakano Darling Is Hosting a Luxury 6-Course "Catshimi Omakase" Just for Cats

Cat lovers, try to stay calm. To celebrate the launch of RAWR Food for Cats—fresh, artificial-free raw meals crafted from 100% raw Aussie meat—Sydney dining hotspot Nakano Darling is set to host a first-of-its-kind “Catshimi Omakase”, treating the true rulers of the household to a luxury 6-course raw degustation. It is a love-letter to raw cuisine, catered exclusively to kitties, in purr-fect portions.

Nestled in Haymarket, the cult-favourite Izakaya normally seats human foodies, but on Sunday 19 July, their cats will be the guests of honour, served and fussed over across three exclusive sittings, with their owners along strictly as chaperones.

What’s on the Menu?

Furry VIPs will be treated to a 6-course degustation, inspired by RAWR's 100% Aussie meat range, featuring Ocean Fish, Kangaroo and Chicken. Every course is a feline riff on a Japanese classic, made in consultation with pet nutritionists. They are reimagined cat-safe and plated in delicate 5g bites, with RAWR's nutrient-dense collagen broth drizzled through as a sauce or pooled as a garnish. The menu will include:

• Catnip Miso: A cat's-eye take on miso soup: a nutty kinako (soybean) "broth" dotted with boiled scallop and, of course, catnip.
• Raw Liver Nigiri: A hand-pressed nigiri topped with raw chicken liver, served with edamame paste and boiled zucchini.

• Raw Chicken "Yakitori": Tender chicken thigh over a smooth carrot purée, finished with fine ribbons of zucchini (skewer-free, naturally).
• Seafood Paw Roll: A maki-style roll of thinly sliced tuna and salmon, cucumber and a paper-thin egg crêpe, wrapped with rice and nori.
• Kangaroo & Liver Gyoza: Kangaroo mince, chicken liver and catnip dumpling deconstructed.
• Kangaroo Bowl: A donburi-style finale of raw kangaroo, strawberry, edamame, pumpkin and broccoli over rice, crowned with a dollop of Greek yoghurt.

A Feline-Friendly Dining Room

The event serves as a playful celebration of the craft, taste and health benefits of raw cuisine, which is preferred by domestic cats. To ensure the event is the cat's pyjamas, and truly feline friendly, every element has been re-worked with cat behaviours and preferences in mind.

Dividers will separate kitties during service, as they are solitary feeders. Additionally, dish sizes will be shrunk to 5g raw bites, to mirror cats' preferred portions. Cat calming diffusers will be deployed, as well as dim lighting and cat-specific music (in both noise, tempo and frequency) to ensure a calming space.

The Rise of Pet Humanisation

Founder of RAWR Pet Foods, Pru Thompson, said: “Japan has given us both the joy of cat cafés and the pinnacle of raw dining. With Catshimi Omakase, we’re bringing those worlds together. Our unique cat dining degustation will help us highlight the real cat food that RAWR has created to mirror a cat’s natural prey diet - high in protein and fat, low in carbohydrates, and naturally high in moisture to support hydration.”

“Raw feeding remains one of the most underutilised categories in pet nutrition, and this is our invitation for pet parents to expect more. The same freshness, culinary craftsmanship, and health benefits we seek in our own food are exactly what our cats deserve in their bowl,” Thompson continued.

In preparation for the royal arrival, acclaimed human chef and Executive Chef, Hideyuki Kato from Hatena Hospitality Group, has turned his talents to an entirely new clientele. In what may be the most unexpected chapter of his career, Chef Kato worked alongside RAWR’s nutritionists to create a luxurious raw degustation menu for cats, meticulously refining the aroma, texture and palatability to satisfy even the most demanding feline divas.

"We are excited to welcome Sydney's most demanding diners," said Chris Wu, Managing Director of Hatena Hospitality Group. "Bringing authentic Japanese culture to Sydney has always been our thing, and cat cafés are a huge part of that culture, so for one day, we're leaning all the way in!”

Catshimi Omakase encourages cat parents to ponder the difference between cat food and real food for cats. It leans into the booming "pet humanisation" phenomenon, the cultural shift where pet parents project their own lifestyle choices onto their furry best friends. Our pets now dine with us, do yoga with us, ride in prams and take their own wellness supplements. Yet for all our label-reading and rising nutrition standards, we'll still tip our beloved companion a bowl of ultra-processed gruel and call it dinner.

Bursting onto Woolworths shelves this month, RAWR champions the biological power of fresh, raw feeding: meals developed by pet nutritionists from 100% Aussie meat, egg and gut-loving extras, then snap-frozen to seal in every bite of goodness. The result? Shinier coats, smoother digestion, less waste and happier cats.

How to Secure a Front-Row Seat

To ensure the feline guests can enjoy their meals stress-free, seats at Catshimi Omakase are incredibly limited, with entries strictly capped. Cat-lovers who want to secure a front-row seat at the counter for their furry rulers can RSVP for a session via the booking link here. But you’ll need to be quick!

Entry is entirely free and every single feline patron in attendance will go home with a free month's trial box of the new RAWR range to keep the raw food party going at home.

Miracle Moggie: 11-Year-Old Persian Survives Four Terrifying Hours Trapped Inside Clothes Dryer

As winter temperatures bite across Australia, veterinary experts are issuing an urgent public safety warning to pet parents following the miraculous rescue of a senior cat who survived being trapped inside a household clothes dryer for four agonising hours.

Eleven-year-old Persian cat Minam is lucky to be alive after a routine household chore turned into a life-threatening emergency. Minam loves hanging out in his cat house, which is located inside the family laundry. On this particular day, his owner, Syma, had been drying a heavy doona when the machine prematurely stopped running after about ten minutes due to an unexpected mechanical fault.

Leaving the dryer door slightly ajar for just a few brief moments before intending to restart the cycle, Syma left the house and headed off to work. She had no idea that in those few brief moments, Minam had quietly slipped inside the warm drum to find a cosy sleeping spot, completely unnoticed.

When Syma returned home from work later that day, she couldn't find Minam anywhere. After a frantic search through the house, she suddenly heard faint meowing and scratching echoing from inside the laundry. Minam had been trapped inside the hot, enclosed metal drum for four hours. 

While the machine had luckily stopped running before completing its full cycle, Minam had spent hours trapped inside the intense, residual heat of the enclosed space.

An Intensive Care Miracle at Lort Smith

“I picked him up and he was panting heavily and drooling,” Syma recalled. “He had never snuck in there before. I just couldn't believe it. It happened so fast.”

“My heart sank when I found him in there. I never thought something like this would happen.” — Syma, Minam's owner

Minam was rushed to the Lort Smith Animal Hospital Emergency Department in Melbourne, suffering from severe dehydration, heat stress, and acute trauma injuries. 

Despite his senior age and a known pre-existing heart condition, the resilient feline surprised everyone. 

The veterinary team worked around the clock to give him the best possible chance to survive, immediately moving him to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to administer intravenous fluids, targeted oxygen therapy, and vital pain relief.

Against overwhelming biological odds, Minam survived. Following two days in the ICU, he was well enough to return home in the loving arms of his family. 

Considering the extreme temperatures inside a clothes dryer, the team at Lort Smith notes that it is incredibly rare for a cat to survive an incident like this, making his recovery nothing short of miraculous.

“I can't believe he survived. He's been completely normal since he's been home. He’s just been by my side getting cuddles ever since. I’m just so thankful. He's clearly a fighter.”

Winter Safety Warning: Check Before You Press Start

1. Keep Doors Closed: 

Make it a hard, permanent habit to shut and securely latch the doors of both your front-loading washing machine and your clothes dryer after every single use.

2. Check Your Hampers: 

Never dump a laundry basket directly into the machine without a quick poke and manual shift of the clothes to ensure a cat hasn't burrowed inside.

3. Conduct a Cat Count: 

Establish a routine where you visually and mentally account for the whereabouts of all your cats before you press the "start" button.

“Now I always check before I close any doors. If sharing Minam's story saves even one cat, it'll be worth it.” — Syma, Minam's owner

🐾 Winter Pet Welfare & Safety Guide:

• Check Your Bonnet This Winter: Lort Smith Issues Urgent Car Engine Warning – Learn why heat-seeking felines crawl inside wheel arches and how taking three seconds can prevent an under-hood emergency.
• Winter Wellness: The Essential Checklist for Indoor Cats – Discover practical tips to keep your indoor feline active, fully hydrated, and beautifully cosy during the colder seasonal months.

Category Challenger: RAWR Launches 100% Aussie Raw Cat Food Range in Woolworths Fridges Nationwide

Pimlico Food Group has officially shaken up the commercial pet food market with the launch of its premium raw cat food brand, RAWR. Aimed at bridging the gap between raw nutrition and supermarket convenience, the new range is available fresh in Woolworths fridges nationwide starting today.

What Real Food for Cats Actually Looks Like

RAWR debuts with three hero recipes—Ocean Fish, Kangaroo, and Chicken—crafted from 100% Aussie meat, nutrient-rich organs, egg, and functional, gut-loving extras like collagen and algae oil.

Made fresh and raw, the way nature intended, every recipe is meat-first, gently prepared, and snap-frozen to preserve natural nutrients, enzymes, and amino acids for peak bioavailability and gut health. To ensure ultimate convenience for feline parents, it is thawed in a controlled manner and sold directly in the Woolworths fridge, ready to serve straight from the pack.

Developed alongside leading pet nutritionists, the range delivers species-appropriate nutrition that mirrors a cat’s natural prey diet: high in protein and fat, low in carbohydrates, and naturally high in moisture to support essential hydration.

The RAWR Promise: Nothing artificial. No fillers. No binders. No grains, legumes, or starches. Ever.

Challenging the Supermarket Status Quo

RAWR enters the market to challenge long-standing industry norms and remind cat owners what real food actually looks like. The range offers an uncompromisingly transparent alternative to traditional, highly processed pet foods, leaving behind the ambiguous meat meals, grains, starches, and confusing fillers that have dominated supermarket shelves for decades.

“Somewhere along the line, the commercial pet food industry convinced us that by-products, heavy fillers, and fancy packaging equalled a proper meal. Spoiler: it doesn’t,” says Pru Thompson, Co-Founder of Pimlico Food Group.

“RAWR is what happens when you stop pretending ‘cat food’ is food. Pet parents no longer need to buy into highly processed shortcuts, fillers, and fluff. We’re here to bring real talk and premium, uncompromised raw nutrition straight to the pet food aisle so owners can give their cats the nutrition they actually deserve. The result? Shinier coats, smoother digestion, less waste, and happier cats. Once you see the difference, there’s no going back.”

Real Food, Locked in by Science (No Fluff. No Fillers. Ever)

By removing traditional binders, legumes, and starches, RAWR supports a lower-volume feeding recommendation that delivers higher-quality results. Every ingredient is clearly named on-pack, standing in stark contrast to the "cereals," "meat meals," "soy," and "stabilisers" found on legacy labels.

Every RAWR meal features:

✔ Meat-First Formulation: High-quality, 100% Aussie meat as the very first ingredient, with exact percentages shown on-pack (no ambiguous "and/or" statements).

✔ High Moisture Content: Mirroring a cat's natural prey diet to support hydration and crucial kidney health.

✔ Nutrient-Dense Organ Meats: Liver provides a natural, wild-inspired source of Vitamin A, iron, B vitamins, and essential fatty acids.

✔ Collagen & Egg: Uncommon, premium inclusions that complete the amino acid profile while supporting skin, coat, and joint health.

✔ Algae Oil: A sustainable, clean source of DHA and EPA omega-3s for brain health, vision, and mobility.

✔ Precise Vitamin & Mineral Blend: Expertly formulated to be complete and balanced in line with strict AAFCO standards.

Meet the “Suspicious Six”

Built on a brand platform of Playful Disruption, Real Talk, and Principled but Not Preachy, RAWR is introducing a fresh, unfiltered voice to the pet food aisle.

Casting aside dense corporate jargon, the launch is supported by a vibrant cast of animated cat characters—Milo, Millie, Willow, Theo, Max, and Rosie—collectively known as the "Suspicious Six." These characters will feature across digital content, retail activations, and consumer education, bringing unique, relatable personalities to drive deep engagement with feline parents across Australia.

Price & Availability

RAWR is available right now in the refrigerated pet food section at Woolworths stores nationwide.

Feline parents can purchase the range in the following options:

✔ Single Pack (7 x 60g pouches): Available from $25.00 for any protein option.

✔ 3-Pack: Offers a convenient bulk option with a 20% savings.

✔ 6-Pack: Offers the best value for multi-cat households with a 33% savings.

Available for purchase online (delivering to Sydney Metro, Brisbane Metro & Melbourne Metro only). To learn more or explore the full range, visit: rawrfoodforcats.com.au

Connect with the brand and stay updated on socials:

•  Facebook: Follow RAWR on Facebook
•  Instagram: Follow RAWR on Instagram

Feline Nutrition Hub: Deepen Your Knowledge

Understanding species-appropriate feeding is the best way to support your cat's long-term health. Explore our foundational guides on feline biology and the raw feeding movement:

✔ Feline Biology: The Dangers of a Vegan Diet for Cats – An essential look at why obligate carnivores require meat-first nutrition to survive and thrive.

✔ Diet & Routines: Busting Myths About Cat Diets & Feeding Routines – Breaking down the common misconceptions surrounding commercial pet food labels.

✔ The Raw Movement: Australia's Raw Dog Food Revolution (via Australian Dog Lover) – A deep dive into how raw feeding is transforming pet wellness across the country.