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Cat cafe "Cats Republic" Saint Petersburg, Russia
Female Somali in Cat Café in Tokyo

A cat café is a theme café whose attraction is cats 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.

Etymology

Cat café has been officially recognized in the online edition of the Oxford Dictionary of English since August 2015.[1]

History

The world's first cat café, "Cat Flower Garden" (貓花園[2]), opened its doors in Taipei, Taiwan, in 1998.[3] The Taiwanese cat café eventually became a tourist destination, attracting tourists from Japan as well as all over the globe.[4] Though the origin of cat café is in Taiwan, the concept blossomed in Japan,[3] where the first one named "Neko no Jikan" (lit. "Cat's Time") was opened in Osaka in 2004.[2] Due to the Japan's land size and population, many residents live in small apartments or condominiums which do not allow pets, making a cat café a very popular destination for young workers looking for the companionship and comfort offered. Tokyo's first cat café, named "Neko no mise" (Shop of Cats), opened in 2005. After this, the popularity of cat cafés boomed in Japan. From 2005 to 2010, seventy-nine cat cafés opened across the country.[5]

Asia

Japan

Nekokaigi, a small cat café in Kyoto.

Cat cafés are quite popular in Japan, with Tokyo being home to 58 cat cafés as of 2015.[6] The first was Cat's Store (猫の店, Neko no Mise), by Norimasa Hanada, 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, such as rabbit cafés, are also common in Japan.[7]

There are various types of cat café in Japan. Some feature specific categories of cat such as black cats, fat cats, rare breed cats or ex-stray cats. Every cat café in Japan is required to obtain a license and comply with the strict requirements and regulations of the nation's Animal Treatment and Protection Law.[8]

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 and many often have cats from local animal shelters to help them lose any fear of humans and advertise them for possible adoption.

One café in Tokyo added goats as a way of having a unique element.[9]

Singapore

The first cat café in Singapore is Cat Café Neko no Niwa (Japanese for ‘Garden of Cat’). As of today, there are more than 5 cat and dog cafés in the city.[10][11] The cat cafés are namely Neko no Niwa, The Cat Cafés, The Company of Cats, Meomi Cat Café and Cuddles Cat Café. Neko no Niwa, The Company of Cats and The Cat Café feature cats who were rescued.[12]

The Singaporean Cat Cafes are regulated and licensed by AVA and they are all bound to a 'code of conduct'. Individuals having questions with their cat needs, can join the Cat Welfare Society, which helps with medical fees, sterilization costs or adopting of the cats. Cat Cafes usually have their own/specific houserules.[13][14]

Cuddles Cat Cafe was investigated by Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) in December 2014.[15]

Taiwan

The first cat café was opened in Taipei, Taiwan in 1998.[3]

Thailand

Thailand has several cat cafés, most in Bangkok. Cat Cafe by Dome, Cat Up Cafe, Caturday, Cataholic Cafe, The Coffee Cat and Purr Cat Cafe Club are all located in Bangkok.[16] Each serves baked goods with a small menu of main dishes; prices are usually higher than at most cafés but not unreasonably so. They all have rules regarding the behavior of guests towards the cats and have mostly purebred cats. Catmosphere Cat Cafe (offers some drinks and snacks in addition to active playing time with the cats) and Maewmoth cafés are located in Chiang Mai.[17]

Europe

Cat cafe in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Austria

According to local legend, the world's first cat café opened in Vienna in the summer of 1912 and ceased operation approximately two years later. It is said that Vladimir Lenin was a regular for a period in 1913, finding the feline companionship a comfort during his time of exile. The cat café is known to have ceased operation shortly after the beginning of the First World War, although the much repeated story that the closure was due to its patriotic owner's donating all the cats to a factory making fur-lined boots for the war effort may be apocryphal.

In 2012 cat café Neko was opened in Vienna.

Belgium

Le chat touille opened up in Brussels in 2014.

Denmark

Cafe Miao opened up in Copenhagen in 2014.

Estonia

The first cat café in Estonia, Kassikohvik Nurri, opened in October 2014 in Tallinn.

Finland

The first cat café in Finland, Kissakahvila Purnauskis, opened in November 2014 in Tampere. It is a permanent home for 7 cats.

The second cat café, Kissakahvila Helsinki, opened in July 2015 in Helsinki. It is a permanent home for 6 cats.

France

Le Café des Chats is a cat café located on 16 Rue Michel le Comte in Paris. This café is a diner that includes desserts, tea, and, of course, cats.[18]

Germany

Stubentiger Cafe in Hannover opened in August 2015 with a varied menu, including vegetarian, gluten-free and vegan.[19] In Munich, there is Café Katzentempel. Cologne has Cafe Schnurrke.[20] In Berlin there is Pet Pees Katzencafe.[21]

Hungary

Cat Café & Gallery is located in downtown Budapest near St. Stephen's Basilica at Révay utca 3.[22] Cat Café is located on Damjanich utca 38.[23]

Italy

The first Italian cat café opened in Turin in March 2014; at first it hosted six cats. Its name is MiaGola Café,[24] which in Italian can be interpreted as a language game: literally mia gola can be translated my throat, while miagola (stressed on the first syllable: miàgola) means (he or she) meows.

The Neko Cat Cafe was opened in Turin on April 5, 2014.[25][26] The resident cats are all adopted from animal welfare organizations.

Latvia

The cat café in Latvia, MINKA cat cafe, opened in Riga in February 2015. MINKA Cat Cafe is located near the center at Meža street 4a. [27]

Lithuania

The cat café in Lithuania, Cat Cafe Kačių kavinė, opened in Vilnius in October 2014. Cat Cafe is located in cener at Jasinskio str 1. It is one of the biggest cafés with cats in the world. 13 cats live there.[28]

Netherlands

The cat café Kopjes opened in Amsterdam in April 2015.[29] In Groningen (North of the Netherlands) Kattencafé Op z'n Kop opened in Februar 2016. [30]

Poland

The first cat café in Poland was opened in Kraków in June 2015 and is called Kociarnia.[31] The name is a combination of Polish words kocia (catlike) and kawiarnia (a café). The second cat café, Miau Café, opened in Warsaw on January 27, 2016.

Romania

Miau Cafe was opened in Spring 2015 in Bucharest.[32] A coffee house named Lady Cat also opened in Cluj-Napoca in March 2016.[33]

Russia

The first cat cafe in Europe and in Russia "Cats Republic" was opened in the center of Saint Petersburg in 2011. There are live 25 cats.[34]

United Kingdom

England

In 2014 Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium opened to significant media attention[35][36][37] and a two-month waiting list.[38] Newcastle is now home to Mog on The Tyne Cat Café[39] and Willow Cat Cafe.[40] Nottingham has a cat café called Kitty Café.[41] Several other UK cafes are in the planning.[42]

The Bag of Nails in Bristol is a cat pub, and has had as many as 24 cats.[43][44]

Scotland

Maison de Moggy is the first cat café in Scotland and opened in January 2015.[45][46]

North America

The first cat café to open in North America was Le Café des Chats/Cat Café Montreal[47] in Montreal, Canada, which opened its doors to the public in August 2014.

Canada

Following the opening of the first Canadian cat café, Le Café des Chats in August 2014; Café Chat L'Heureux (also in Montreal) opened in September 2014 with 8 cats adopted from local shelters.

Saturday, October 17, 2015 saw the opening of Ontario's first cat café located in Guelph, Ontario.[48] Being the first to follow the only other Canadian cat cafés at the time, all located in Montreal.

Catfe opened in Vancouver, British Columbia on December 14, 2015 [49] and Kitty Cat Café and Pet Me Meow are both planning cafés for Toronto to open in 2015.[50]

Also, there is a new cat café that will open during July 2015 in Chelsea, a small municipality near of Ottawa, named the Siberian Cat Café. This cat café is particular, because it only shelter Siberian cats, making it the first hypoallergenic cat café in the world.[51]

United States

Cat cafés in the United States differ from those in many other countries by their focus on adoptions. Hundreds of animals have been adopted through their efforts. In some cases, adoptions are completed for customers visiting on vacation. The Cat Cafe in San Diego has completed adoptions for customers visiting from Nebraska,[52] the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and Pennsylvania.

Also, in the United States, compliance with governmental food service regulations is required. The area where the cats are playing or being considered for adoption must be entirely separated from the area where food and drink are served. For example, a newly adopted cat must leave through a separate door without passing a food serving area.[53]

The Charming Cat Cafe in Vista Ridge mall, Lewisville, TX
The Charming Cat Cafe in Vista Ridge Mall, Lewisville, Texas
A cat café in the Lower East Side, New York City

KitTea was the first cat café to announce its plans to open in the United States. The news was first leaked via an article posted via The Laughing Squid[54] and SFIST[55] on January 22, 2014. Although KitTea was unable to open as the first cat café due to raised rents and construction delays,[56] they are proudly known as the first and only cat café in San Francisco, California.[57] On June 24, 2015, KitTea finally opened its doors to the anticipating public[58] and continues to support cats from Wonder Cat Rescue and the ACC in San Francisco.

The Cat Town Café opened in October 2014 and is a "cross between a coffee shop and an adoption center" in Oakland, California.[59] They were soon followed in December 2014 by Planet Tails Cat Café in Naples, Florida; and in quick succession by Denver Cat Company in Denver, Colorado; Meow Parlour in New York City; The Cat Café[60][61] in San Diego, California; Purrington’s Cat Lounge in Portland, Oregon; and Calico Nook in Franklin, Massachusetts.

In June 2015, the Crumbs and Whiskers cat café opened in Washington, D.C., where it partnered with the local chapter of the Humane Society; this café provides a boarding space for around 15–25 cats at a time, all of which are provided by the Humane Society and made available for adoption.[62][63][64][65][66][67]

In May 2015, Grand Rapids, Michigan, announced Happy Cat Cafe will open sometime in 2016.[68] They are hoping to partner with The Humane Society of West Michigan.[69] The cafe raised $26,821 on Kickstarter with 549 backers.[70]

In September 2015, a second café opened in New York City, called Koneko. It will be supporting felines from Anjellicle Cats Rescue.[71]

In May 2015,[60] The Dancing Cat café opened in San Jose, California, as a temporary prototype. Originally intended for a one-month run, it extended its run until November 15, 2015.

In October 2015, the Blue Cat Cafe opened in Austin, Texas, partnering with the Austin Humane Society as a cafe and adoption center. It has live music.[72][73]

In December 2015, Seattle, Washington, opened its first cat café, called Seattle Meowtropolitan.[74]

In December 2015, the first cat cafe in Dallas, Texas—The Charming Cat Cafe—opened in Vista Ridge Mall, showcasing kitties from Kitty Save.[75][76][77]

In March 2016, Cat Cafe Mad opened in Madison, Wisconsin.[78]

In the summer of 2016, Ashley Brooks will be opening "Pounce Cat Cafe + Wine Bar" in Charleston, South Carolina. Pounce has partnered with the largest animal shelter in Charleston, Charleston Animal Society.[79][80]

In the summer of 2016, Kitty Brew Cafe will be opening in West Chester, Ohio. Kitty Brew will partner with the Butler County Animal Friend's Humane Society to provide premium cafe drinks and a cat lounge to hang out with adoptable cats.[81]

Mexico

Cat cafés have been established in the capital, Mexico city, and in the State of Baja California. "Bastet Cafe" opened its doors on August 30, 2015 in Tijuana.[82]

Oceania

New Zealand

New Zealand's first cat café, The Cat Lounge, opened in November 2015 in Auckland.[83]

See also

References

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