Most people who live in the city or urban areas went to cafes to do some work. However, recent research found that most people visited restaurants with the intention to socialize. Therefore, a cat cafe might be a great option if you feel bored visiting regular diners (or interacting with humans). These cafes are based on a simple concept: coffee and cats.
Image Credit: Reba Spike on Unsplash
A cat cafe is a business that features cats as additional (or main) entertainment. It is like a regular café or restaurant but with an accompaniment of a cat or two. Typically, cat cafes could house up to 10 cats or more, and if you can visit them, just pay for the food and drinks, and you are free to play with the cats for as long as you want. Many people see these cafes because they like cats but do not have enough space at home to have one of their own. This allows them to spend time with these cats without having any responsibilities such as feeding or cleaning up after them.
The cat cafe concept originated in Taiwan and Japan but has recently spread to other parts of the world, including the United States. Some cat cafes, also known as "cat cafeterias" or "cat restaurants" appeared as early as 1998 with the first cat cafe named "Cat Flower Garden" opening in Taiwan, where it would then become a global tourist destination and started the trend of cat cafés. Since then, more than 30 countries have opened up their versions of this concept, including Japan, Australia, and Germany, among others.
Check out cat café in Singapore here.
Image Credit: Veronika Homchis on Unsplash
The idea of cat cafes began as a way for people to get over their loneliness in this fast-paced society. As people got bored visiting regular cafes, a cat cafe was considered a great option. Cat cafes are beneficial for both humans and felines alike because it provides them with an opportunity to interact with one another. It helps in relieving stress and improving your mental health by boosting your social skills through interacting with others who share similar interests and experiences. Other than that, cat café also helps in managing the stray cat problem, as some cat café owners take the initiative to help these cats and get them adopted by partnering with local cat rescues.
Image Credit: Daryan Shamkhali on Unsplash
Sometimes, the cat cafe may be themed to attract children and families. For example, if there are only a few cats in the room, they may have toys for the children to play with while they wait for their orders. But in general, the ambiance is almost similar to other cafés but includes cats as additional entertainment.
You may question if the café will smell with cats roaming around the food eatery. The answer is, that it all depends on the café's ways of combating the cat litter. As for the cat, these cats don't smell since they are groomed and kept in great condition. In Islam, a cat is viewed as holy animals and are admired for their cleanliness, so you don't need to worry if hygiene is one of your top concerns.
Cat cafés need to achieve a certain standard of cleanliness procedure set up by authorities to get approval to operate legally, just like the current regular café we have these days. This is because this type of café serves food and drinks in the presence of animals. If cleanliness is not taken care of seriously, it will cause a disease caused by cats named toxoplasmosis. Some cat cafes take extra precautions by using only high-grade cat litter that can help with the cat's litter smell. Coffee beans are a great source of smell-neutralizers as well. Since every café brew coffee as part of their drinks menu, the aroma of the brewed coffee bean helps to neutralize the smell and have your nose refreshed.
There are some restrictions on how long people can stay in the cafe. Some even require customers to make reservations before coming in to accommodate more people at once. Some cat cafes may also allow dogs, depending on their policy, but most only allow cats as dogs can be aggressive towards other animals and humans alike.
Cat cafes are an interesting attraction and experience, where you can enjoy your time with these fluff balls while sipping a cup of warm coffee. If you love cats, this might be an exciting option for you to consider when planning your next trip within or out of town.
Check out cat café in Malaysia here.
