Cafe Fur Cats

Is this only in Japan? Probably. Though I bet someone in the USA starts one up soon.

Pussy lovers of world, unite!

Uh, scratch that... pussy cat lovers of the world, unite!

Because there's nothing a cat like more than going out with its owner for a coffee and a light snack, someone has created a new place to yowl... several of them in fact: The cat cafe.

Cat lovers can now spend time relaxing amongst their purr pals curled up beside them as they enjoy a steaming cup of joe... coffee, that is.

To be fair, the first cat cafe actually clawed in back in 1998 - in Taiwan. We here at Japan - It's A Wonderful Rife love pussy... cats but still we wonder if alcohol and a drunken bet may have been involved in the opening of the Taiwanese business.

But who knew? This has been a successful type of business, as a cat cafe opened up its pet doors in Osaka back in 2004.

Okay... it was kit-sch back then... but it really has caught on like a cat sitting on my chest sucking my breath. There are now 39 cat cafes in Tokyo alone. Thirty-nine. Just let that one sink in for a moment. Thirty-nine.

So... why start up a business like this? Well, according to Hanada Norimasa (surname first), for those renting an apartment in Japan, cats are not allowed. If you purchase a condominium - one for a family - then they are... otherwise, no pets. So... what is a young, single, lonely, pet-loving person to do? 

"This means that young, single-dwelling workers in their 20s and 30s can’t even think about getting any pets, despite the fact that they’re stressed out and are seeking comfort and companionship of some kind,” explains Hanada.

Handa knows what he is talking about, and decided to do a good deed and pull in a few yen as well. His Cat's Store (猫の店 Neko no Mise) in Tokyo is one of the most famous cat cafe's in all of Japan.

His (Hanada's) café offers 14 cats to the visitors (along with a selection of Japanese manga (comic) books, as well as standard cafe fare of tables, chairs, couches and scratching posts... though we are not sure about the scratching posts.

We are assuming that the cost of any food and drink is extra, but just to hang out at the cafe, the visitor is charged ~Cdn/US $1.50 for every 10 minutes, up to $21.50 for a three-hour period. It really is an indoor cat rental.

There are also niche cat cafe's for the discerning cat-lover likely to strut right by with their tale in the air at a common tabby white cat cafe, cat-ering to a  Black (cats) Only; Fat (cats); rare breeds or cats that were strays...

This blog has always found Russian Blues sexy...

As with any business, a cat cafe owner needs to get a business license and then obey all the rules and regulations regarding Japan's Animal Treatment/Protection Law. As well, cafe owners must ensure cleanliness... perhaps no open litter boxes... and have to ensure that the cats are not bothered by excessive attention, or are cool with kids. They must also be allowed their sleep time.

Really? You must allow a cat its sleep time? I have a cat... during the day, my cat sleeps about 21.47 hours a day! It's only awake at night to bite my toes while I sleep or to sit on my aforementioned chest to suck my breath and kill me.

Regardless, a cat cafe must also seek to promote cat awareness issues, such as abandoned and stray cats.

Your humble author applauds this cat-scratch fever initiative. I, unfortunately, while I do have a cat... it adopted me after I got married... I am allergic... especially to the real long-haired ones. A shaved pussy cat, however... I have no problem with that.

I'm unsure if I would pay to sit with a cat, however... I mean... you could just go behind the dumpster at a sushi restaurant and play with the cats there for free.