Whilst watching TV the other day i saw an interesting story about a cafe in Tokyo where customers pay to sit in cafes whilst being surrounded by cats. Further investigation online showed these cat cafes to be an increasingly popular way to relax for large numbers of people in Tokyo.
In a country with an increasingly childless, petless and ageing population, these cafes seem to fill a void for companionship and stress release. This is an interesting idea for those who are time poor or don’t have the space and ability to care for a cat at home.
The world’s first cat cafe opened in Taipei Taiwan in 1998 and began to attract many Japanese tourists as well as domestic visitors leading to the first Japanese cafe opening in Osaka in 2004. According to an article on Wikipedia there are currently 39 cat cafes in Japan with some even featuring specific types of cat such as black cats only, fat cats or rare breeds. Some cafes get so busy that reservations are required just to be allowed to enter!
All cafes are licensed to comply with requirements and regulations of the Animal Treatment/Protection Law. There are strict rules for vising these cafes to ensure cleanliness and the welfare of the animals. Rules such as ‘no-tail-pulling’, ‘let sleeping cats lie’ and ‘don’t lift a cat up to be held’ run in favor of the cats and ensure that they are not disturbed by excessive and unwanted attention.
Many of these Japanese cat cafes are also actively involved in animal welfare and actively work to raise awareness of issues such as abandonment, stray cats and desexing.
What are your thoughts on cat cafes? Tell us in the comments…
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