Could cat cafés be coming soon to Vancouver?

by Michelle da Silva on May 8, 2012 at 12:44 pm
Customers interact with a cat at a cat café in Kyoto, Japan.
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A few years ago when I visited Tokyo, one thing I wanted to do on my trip was visit a cat café. To be clear, a cat café is not a restaurant that serves cats! It’s a restaurant that allows customers to play with cats while they enjoy a beverage or light snack.

On my last day in Japan, I checked out Cat Magic, a quaint cat café located in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district. There are a few things one should know about visiting a cat café: most charge by the hour, so you’ll pay for your beverage and snack and then pay for the amount of time you play with the cats; customers are required to wash their hands before touching the cats in order to prevent the spread of germs; and customers are not allowed to bother sleeping cats, no matter how cute the kitten napping in the corner may be. All in all, it’s a pretty relaxing experience, and I can see why cat cafés are popular with locals and visitors alike in a city as bustling as Tokyo.

Austria is the latest country to open a cat café. After three years of negotiations with city officials, a cat café named Café Neko (which means “cat café” in Japanese) opened in Vienna last week. There are currently five cats, all rescued from animal shelters, available for customer interaction at Café Neko.

Perhaps because cats are such popular household pets in North America, cat cafés wouldn’t be as profitable in a city like Vancouver—but how awesome would it be to pet some cats while enjoying your daily coffee? Would you want to see a cat café open in the Lower Mainland?

You can follow Michelle da Silva on Twitter at twitter.com/michdas.

Comments (17) Add New Comment
Eva B
May 8, 2012 at 3:19 pm
Korea has cat cafes too
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R U Kiddingme
May 8, 2012 at 3:56 pm
It seems like pawstitution
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bdubblut
May 8, 2012 at 4:34 pm
Slavery in one of its most profitable forms.
Possession of animals.
Coffee not addictive enough?
Here play with kitty...

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peter pants
May 8, 2012 at 4:47 pm
Why not fast food restaurants for cats as well, just as long as they're careful not to over do it when they ask to super size their fries in their cat bowls, yep they're be some damn unhealthy felines with clogged arteries there.
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Maya Beckersmith
May 8, 2012 at 4:57 pm
I can haz cat cafe?
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lols
May 8, 2012 at 6:13 pm
@Maya - lol or even roflmao
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Crysta
May 8, 2012 at 7:25 pm
Pretty sure there's more than just 3 countries that have cat cafes...there's one in Ontario, Canada called Small Things

http://www.smallthings.ca/default.asp?id=2163
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Megumi
May 8, 2012 at 7:33 pm
I would adore a cat cafe in Vancouver; maybe pair it with a shelter so you can play with kitties up for adoption while you sip your coffee.
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Gentleman Jack
May 9, 2012 at 8:16 am
...
Cat Cafe?
Health Inspector!!!
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Birdy
May 9, 2012 at 11:08 am
If we had one here, PETA would troll it harder than a bunch of christians at an abortion clinic.
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Just saying
May 9, 2012 at 2:53 pm
Cutegasm!
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soundspeed
May 9, 2012 at 4:09 pm
If you want to spend time with cats for free and locally, go to your local animal shelter. There are always cats there that really need some attention. Who knows, you might even like one and be able to take it home with you. The same rules of washing your hands and not disturbing the sleeping one apply.
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Krystalblue
May 11, 2012 at 12:07 am
@Maya: I can haz cheezboogie @ cat cafe?
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jeff smith
May 11, 2012 at 7:46 pm
this is the absolute worst!
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sk0ey
May 21, 2012 at 12:30 pm
cat cafes are an awesome alternative for people who can't have kitties and want to spend some time with them. i know of people who would love to have cats but can't because of their strata or landlords, or their partners are allergic.
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R. Burt
Jun 10, 2012 at 12:40 pm
I would love to see this and would like to work there - are you hiring?

Also, please see WilliamsFresh Cafe
Pawsway Toronto | PawsWay.ca


PawsWay Toronto is located at Toronto's Harbourfront. ... Williams Fresh Cafe, located in the PawsWay building, serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It has a pet-friendly eating area where you can enjoy a coffee with your dog.

I think it's time to see a Canada wide pet friendly cafe franchise (something like Tim Horton's or Starbucks) where pets with their humans can go to as a destination for treats when out for walks or drives. I know it will be an instant success!!

(Example: humans, cats and dogs love vanilla ice cream - easy to do for all!)
When signage is put outside "This eatery is "PET FRIENDLY", it gives people the right to CHOOSE to be in the the presence of pets or not as people have the right to choose whether they wish to be in the presence of liquour, as the signage that is readable from the outside of the restaurant, notifies that liquour is available and served inside.

I think it is important to have the RIGHT TO CHOOSE with whom we eat and drink - don't you?



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R. Burt
Jun 10, 2012 at 12:56 pm
I would love to work at a place like this. Are you hiring?

Also, for an additional idea, please see:

Pawsway Toronto | PawsWay.ca





pawsway.ca/en/About/Discovery/OurPartners


PawsWay Toronto is located at Toronto's Harbourfront. ... Williams Fresh Cafe, located in the PawsWay building, serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It has a pet-friendly eating area where you can enjoy a coffee with your dog

245 Queens Quay W Toronto, ON M5J Neighbourhood: Harbourfront. (416) 306-0335. http://www.williamscoffeepub.com/ ·

I feel that there should be a Canada wide franchise something like Tim Horton's or Starbucks that is "pet friendly" where pets and their humans can go to as a destination for treats when out for walks or drives.

I think we as humans should have THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE with whom we eat and the legislation should be changed. When guide dogs are allowed in but other dogs are not, that seems prejudicial to me - especially when airlines allow pets in the cabin under the seats while they fly to their destinations ie Westjet and the humans still in the cabin with the pets in their presence. Makes no sense to discriminate and I storongly believe, we, as humans should have the RIGHT TO CHOOSE whether we want to dine at cafes, restaurants etc. with our pets present, as we do at home.
Those who do not wish to do this can be given the RIGHT TO CHOOSE to enter where pets are being fully made aware by easily noticable and readable signage outside of the eatery, that "This facility is PET FRIENDLY:" much like people have the RIGHT TO CHOOSE whether they wish to be in the presence of liquor by being advised prior to entering a facility that liquor is available and served inside. If one does not wish to be in the presence of liquour - one does not enter - by FREE WILL CHOICE or otherwise enters by FREE WILL CHOICE - same as with a eatery that welcomes humans with their pets.
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