Cat cafe
Encyclopedia
A cat café is a theme café
whose attraction is cat
s that can be watched and played with. Patrons pay a cover fee
, generally hourly, and thus cat cafés can be seen as a form of supervised indoor pet rental
.
in 1998. The Taiwanese cat café, located in Taipei
, eventually became famous in Japan
and began to attract many Japanese tourists as well as domestic visitors. In Japan, the first cat cafénamed "猫の時間" (Neko no Jikan, literally "Cat's Time") - Nikkei BP, May 2, 2008 opened in Osaka
in 2004.
being home to at least 39 cat cafés. A pioneer is , by Hanada Norimasa, which opened in 2005. The popularity of cat cafés in Japan is attributed to many apartments forbidding pets, and to cats providing relaxing companionship in what may otherwise be a stressful and lonesome urban life; other forms of pet rental
are also common in Japan.
There are various cat cafés. Some cat cafés feature specific categories of cat such as black cat
s, fat cats, rare breed cats or ex-stray cats. A cat café must obtain a license and comply with the strict requirements and regulations of the Animal Treatment/Protection Law.
Japanese cat cafés feature strict rules to ensure cleanliness and animal welfare, in particular seeking to ensure that the cats are not disturbed by excessive and unwanted attention, such as by young children or when sleeping. Many cat cafés also seek to raise awareness of cat welfare issues, such as abandoned and stray cats.
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
whose attraction is cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
s that can be watched and played with. Patrons pay a cover fee
Cover charge
At bars and nightclubs, or restaurants with live entertainment a flat fee for entry, sometimes known as a cover charge, is made, in addition to payment for food and drink...
, generally hourly, and thus cat cafés can be seen as a form of supervised indoor pet rental
Pet rental
Pet rental is the practice, usually administered by for-profit companies established for this specific purpose, of renting pets such as dog and cats. It is a controversial practice opposed by many animal rights advocates and has been banned in at least one municipality: Boston, Massachusetts....
.
History
The world's first cat cafénamed "猫花園" (Cat Flower Garden) - Nikkei BP, May 2, 2008 opened in TaiwanTaiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
in 1998. The Taiwanese cat café, located in Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
, eventually became famous in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and began to attract many Japanese tourists as well as domestic visitors. In Japan, the first cat cafénamed "猫の時間" (Neko no Jikan, literally "Cat's Time") - Nikkei BP, May 2, 2008 opened in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
in 2004.
Japan
Cat cafés are quite popular in Japan, with TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
being home to at least 39 cat cafés. A pioneer is , by Hanada Norimasa, which opened in 2005. The popularity of cat cafés in Japan is attributed to many apartments forbidding pets, and to cats providing relaxing companionship in what may otherwise be a stressful and lonesome urban life; other forms of pet rental
Pet rental
Pet rental is the practice, usually administered by for-profit companies established for this specific purpose, of renting pets such as dog and cats. It is a controversial practice opposed by many animal rights advocates and has been banned in at least one municipality: Boston, Massachusetts....
are also common in Japan.
There are various cat cafés. Some cat cafés feature specific categories of cat such as black cat
Black cat
A black cat is a feline with black fur. It is not a particular breed of cat and may be mixed or of a specific breed. The Bombay, known for its sleek black fur, is an example of a black cat. The all-black pigmentation is equally prevalent in both male and female cats...
s, fat cats, rare breed cats or ex-stray cats. A cat café must obtain a license and comply with the strict requirements and regulations of the Animal Treatment/Protection Law.
Japanese cat cafés feature strict rules to ensure cleanliness and animal welfare, in particular seeking to ensure that the cats are not disturbed by excessive and unwanted attention, such as by young children or when sleeping. Many cat cafés also seek to raise awareness of cat welfare issues, such as abandoned and stray cats.
News stories
- Tokyo's cat cafes, Global Post
- Cat cafe soothes Tokyo's busy feline lovers, ReutersReutersReuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
- Tokyo's cat cafes offer serenity in the city, Christian Science Monitor