Open Thread - Cat Cafe

Hosted by a fluffy kitty!

OMG OMG OMG YOU GUYZ!!!  They are opening a cat cafe in London!

Apparently this is a Thing in Japan, along with bunny cafes.  The concept is simple: it's a regular cafe, with coffee and pastries and things, but inside are a bunch of friendly cats who will come up and interact with the guests.  Anyway, recognizing a niche (because apparently a lot of people in London live in apartments and can't have pets - any Londoners want to comment on whether or not that's accurate?), entrepreneur Lauren Pears started a fundraiser on Indiegogo, was successful, and is now opening one herself :)  According to the Indiegogo site, the cats are all adopted (presumably from shelters), and some of the start-up costs include appropriate medical care for the cats, a cat play area, and adequate time for the cats to settle in and get comfortable before being inundated with people, so it definitely sounds like it's a good deal for the animals at least.

The responses I've seen so far have been fairly polarized - either this is the BEST THING EVAR, OMG or the idea of cats shedding in your coffee and poking their noses into your éclairs strikes you as fairly gross.  (Oddly, from what I've seen, allergies do not necessarily affect which side you fall on - several of my friends with cat allergies have responded with enthusiastic variations on IT WOULD BE WORTH IT!!!)

Personally, I have two cats at home.  One is madly in love with my husband; the other is madly in love with my roommate.  Both ignore me.  So I get all the cat hair in my food, etc., without all the affection - so yeah, I'd totally be there if this opened anywhere near me!

Open Thread!  Would you go to a cat cafe if there were one in your area?  Why or why not?  Are you a cat person, a dog person, an iguana person, a person person, etc.?  What "cat-friendly" features would a cafe like this have to have for you to be confident the cats were happy with the arrangement?  Are there any businesses in your area that have "kitty greeters"? 

~ Kristycat

Monday Reminder!  While I have fun coming up with pretty pictures and/or interesting “prompt” questions for open threads, you aren’t limited to those!  These threads are open - go wild, talk about whatever moves you!  (Just remember that this is still a safe space, please!)

62 comments:

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Maggie Champaigne said...

I work at a pet food store which has two rescued cats living there. I'm a sucker for animals, so it's one of the more enjoyable things about the job.

(I also have two goofball cats at home, and a house rabbit)

(I'd still go to a cat cafe)

chris the cynic said...

I just wish that I could teach my cat that, while she is to chase down any mouse in the house (though I prefer to capture them alive and stick them outside where they belong rather than let her kill them), she is to be non-violent outside.

If she kills a wild animal in my house that's not optimal (it would be better if it could be taken alive and stuck back where it belongs) but it's better than having a wild animal in the house. If she kills a wild animal outside the house that's... um... what's the kitty equivalent of murder?

She's supposed to deal with trespassers, not things minding their own business.

chris the cynic said...

I just wish that I could teach my cat that, while she is to chase down any mouse in the house (though I prefer to capture them alive and stick them outside where they belong rather than let her kill them), she is to be non-violent outside.

If she kills a wild animal in my house that's not optimal (it would be better if it could be taken alive and stuck back where it belongs) but it's better than having a wild animal in the house. If she kills a wild animal outside the house that's... um... what's the kitty equivalent of murder?

She's supposed to deal with trespassers, not things minding their own business.

Lady Viridis said...

Ooh, cats that can open drawers. That's tricky.

[CN: dead rodents]

Our cats aren't quite that clever, but they are able to go and retrieve toys/ribbons/etc from the basket they're usually stored in to play with them. They actually tag-team it, since one cat is afraid of heights, Cat 2 jumps up and digs out the toys, then knocks them to the ground for Cat 1 to bat about. Thoughtfully, they usually leave the toys in or near their food bowl when done. On the few occasions they caught us actual mice, they also left the bodies there. Which... was a little gross, but better that then dropping them in a corner where we couldn't find them, or in/near the bed, which I have had other cats do, and where a lot of the toys land up.

Lady Viridis said...

Ooh, cats that can open drawers. That's tricky.

[CN: dead rodents]

Our cats aren't quite that clever, but they are able to go and retrieve toys/ribbons/etc from the basket they're usually stored in to play with them. They actually tag-team it, since one cat is afraid of heights, Cat 2 jumps up and digs out the toys, then knocks them to the ground for Cat 1 to bat about. Thoughtfully, they usually leave the toys in or near their food bowl when done. On the few occasions they caught us actual mice, they also left the bodies there. Which... was a little gross, but better that then dropping them in a corner where we couldn't find them, or in/near the bed, which I have had other cats do, and where a lot of the toys land up.

chris the cynic said...

Are there any businesses in your area that have "kitty greeters"?

My area? Not that I know of. But there is one famous case I know of, though the cats aren't considered greeters so much as residents. On the other hand the place makes the cats available to visitors, advertises using the cats, and sells cat related merchandise all of which, it was ruled in court, legally makes them equivalent to zoo animals in terms of regulation.

Those are the Hemingway cats at the Hemingway home.

There are currently about 45 of them. And they've got extra toes (which is part of how they know that the various cats descend from Hemingway's cat.)

chris the cynic said...

Are there any businesses in your area that have "kitty greeters"?

My area? Not that I know of. But there is one famous case I know of, though the cats aren't considered greeters so much as residents. On the other hand the place makes the cats available to visitors, advertises using the cats, and sells cat related merchandise all of which, it was ruled in court, legally makes them equivalent to zoo animals in terms of regulation.

Those are the Hemingway cats at the Hemingway home.

There are currently about 45 of them. And they've got extra toes (which is part of how they know that the various cats descend from Hemingway's cat.)

Lady Viridis said...

Mercutio is pretty friendly--if shy-- most of the time, and he's gotten a lot more social/vocal as he gets older. But he is especially ridiculous whenever there is food around-- it's even convinced him to come down and say hello when we have a lot of guests over, where he usually hides upstairs at the sound of strangers.

The cat cafe was definitely a welcome thing when I was in Japan-- I'd been there several months and was desperately missing my kitty. Considering I go every few months to the cat shelter just to cuddle all the strange kitties even when I'm home, that was entirely too long.

Lady Viridis said...

Mercutio is pretty friendly--if shy-- most of the time, and he's gotten a lot more social/vocal as he gets older. But he is especially ridiculous whenever there is food around-- it's even convinced him to come down and say hello when we have a lot of guests over, where he usually hides upstairs at the sound of strangers.

The cat cafe was definitely a welcome thing when I was in Japan-- I'd been there several months and was desperately missing my kitty. Considering I go every few months to the cat shelter just to cuddle all the strange kitties even when I'm home, that was entirely too long.

chris the cynic said...

My cat doesn't like me. She doesn't dislike me either. She just sort of... ignores me. Unless she needs something.

To her it would appear that I exist to:
1) Open doors.
2) Put more food in her bowl when she hits the bottom.
3) Watch her eat because apparently she likes having someone there when she starts eating.

Redcrow said...

I definitely would go. I'd go every week if I could afford it. And I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to afford it, so it's probably a good thing there's nothing like this in my town. But I can always visit catzilla - for free...

(I used to be allergic to cats. Then catzilla happened. Somehow I stopped being allergic after the first month or two in his company.)

Redcrow said...

I definitely would go. I'd go every week if I could afford it. And I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to afford it, so it's probably a good thing there's nothing like this in my town. But I can always visit catzilla - for free...

(I used to be allergic to cats. Then catzilla happened. Somehow I stopped being allergic after the first month or two in his company.)

Lady Viridis said...

My cat Mercutio is a ridiculous beggar. We've mostly trained him not to actually put his face in your food (which he did as a kitten), but whenever I'm cooking or someone is eating dinner he tends to rub all over your legs and sometimes, if there's room, jump up behind you on the chair and headbutt you. He's all "I looooooove you. Did you know I love you? I love you so much. What are you eating? You should share. Because I love you."

Lady Viridis said...

My cat Mercutio is a ridiculous beggar. We've mostly trained him not to actually put his face in your food (which he did as a kitten), but whenever I'm cooking or someone is eating dinner he tends to rub all over your legs and sometimes, if there's room, jump up behind you on the chair and headbutt you. He's all "I looooooove you. Did you know I love you? I love you so much. What are you eating? You should share. Because I love you."

depizan said...

I like the idea of critter cafes - seems like a win/win, especially when they're using animals from shelters. The library I work at has a couple of bunnies (fixed, of course, or we'd be buried in bunnies), and I've got a couple of pesky fuzzball kitties (also fixed), one of whom would definitely stick his nose in your eclair. And quite possibly your coffee. "Whatcha got? Is it good? Let me check!"

depizan said...

I like the idea of critter cafes - seems like a win/win, especially when they're using animals from shelters. The library I work at has a couple of bunnies (fixed, of course, or we'd be buried in bunnies), and I've got a couple of pesky fuzzball kitties (also fixed), one of whom would definitely stick his nose in your eclair. And quite possibly your coffee. "Whatcha got? Is it good? Let me check!"

Lady Viridis said...

I went to a cat cafe in Japan while I was there. It was a little overpriced-- the deal was essentially that you paid about $10, got one drink, and got to spend half an hour petting the kitties. But since there weren't a lot of cats around in Japan (dogs are the preferred pet, despite the small size of most Japanese homes), I was desperately missing time spent with soft fluffy kitties and was happy to pay it.

It was a nice place. The cats were mostly older and pretty relaxed, they seemed happy for the attention and didn't get in the drinks or anything. The rooms overall were clean and well-kept-- certainly I don't remember them having even as much cat hair as my house does, with two cats.

I can't see it catching on in the US, but for a place like London where lots of people live in apartments, definitely.

Lady Viridis said...

I went to a cat cafe in Japan while I was there. It was a little overpriced-- the deal was essentially that you paid about $10, got one drink, and got to spend half an hour petting the kitties. But since there weren't a lot of cats around in Japan (dogs are the preferred pet, despite the small size of most Japanese homes), I was desperately missing time spent with soft fluffy kitties and was happy to pay it.

It was a nice place. The cats were mostly older and pretty relaxed, they seemed happy for the attention and didn't get in the drinks or anything. The rooms overall were clean and well-kept-- certainly I don't remember them having even as much cat hair as my house does, with two cats.

I can't see it catching on in the US, but for a place like London where lots of people live in apartments, definitely.

graylor said...

I'd go, even though my own cats would probably shun me a bit when I got home. I sort of marvel at friendly cats. I have two cats who are relatively friendly to strangers, and a whole bunch of 'invisible cats', who no one but immediate household and the vet ever sees. One poor fuzzball tried to jump through a screened window to escape my fierce and terrible sister (who has two labs and was probably carrying their scent) (neither cat nor window were harmed in this incident).

Depending on the decor, a cat cafe might be a much better bet for an allergy sufferer than a home with a cat. Coffee shops tend not to be carpeted, and if the furniture runs to leather or wood rather than upholstery, there might be few places dander could pile up. And without upholstery, the excess hair might be more easily vacuumed.

*

I discovered two things about my hometown today. Firstly, it's confirmed, I'm a jinx. If I discover a new shop around here that I'd like to visit, it immediately closes or adopts weird hours (usually as a prelude to closing). Don't die, little yarn shop, you can make it.

Secondly I could have walked off with all the worked yarn I wanted from the arts and crafts association's gallery. It was open but nobody was home: I hung out looking at stuff for ten minutes and never saw anyone. On one hand, I learned that some poor soul is selling scarves like I made for Christmas for what works out to minimum wage, if that, unless they've got a cheaper source for that yarn than I did. On the other hand, er, I'd think twice about putting anything in that gallery if that's the level of attention that's being paid.

graylor said...

I'd go, even though my own cats would probably shun me a bit when I got home. I sort of marvel at friendly cats. I have two cats who are relatively friendly to strangers, and a whole bunch of 'invisible cats', who no one but immediate household and the vet ever sees. One poor fuzzball tried to jump through a screened window to escape my fierce and terrible sister (who has two labs and was probably carrying their scent) (neither cat nor window were harmed in this incident).

Depending on the decor, a cat cafe might be a much better bet for an allergy sufferer than a home with a cat. Coffee shops tend not to be carpeted, and if the furniture runs to leather or wood rather than upholstery, there might be few places dander could pile up. And without upholstery, the excess hair might be more easily vacuumed.

*

I discovered two things about my hometown today. Firstly, it's confirmed, I'm a jinx. If I discover a new shop around here that I'd like to visit, it immediately closes or adopts weird hours (usually as a prelude to closing). Don't die, little yarn shop, you can make it.

Secondly I could have walked off with all the worked yarn I wanted from the arts and crafts association's gallery. It was open but nobody was home: I hung out looking at stuff for ten minutes and never saw anyone. On one hand, I learned that some poor soul is selling scarves like I made for Christmas for what works out to minimum wage, if that, unless they've got a cheaper source for that yarn than I did. On the other hand, er, I'd think twice about putting anything in that gallery if that's the level of attention that's being paid.

Aidan Bird said...

Cat cafe! I would love to go visit one! Heavens, I'd even work in one if it had a livable wage. Cats are the most adorable animals on the planet, in my humble opinion.

Currently, my cat is asleep, curled up in his hammock.

Aidan Bird said...

Cat cafe! I would love to go visit one! Heavens, I'd even work in one if it had a livable wage. Cats are the most adorable animals on the planet, in my humble opinion.

Currently, my cat is asleep, curled up in his hammock.

Asha said...

I would definitely go. However, my main concern would be the cats trying to nose in your food. I've had cats who wanted to share, and had no problem with tasting whats there. I love a friendly cat, and my Little Cat loves me. Unless she's in a snit, then she suddenly scratches me but we eventually make up. She's an odd one, because she doesn't like laps. She likes hips. If you lay on your side, she's very comfortable.

Asha said...

I would definitely go. However, my main concern would be the cats trying to nose in your food. I've had cats who wanted to share, and had no problem with tasting whats there. I love a friendly cat, and my Little Cat loves me. Unless she's in a snit, then she suddenly scratches me but we eventually make up. She's an odd one, because she doesn't like laps. She likes hips. If you lay on your side, she's very comfortable.

Randomosity said...

AWWWWWWW! The last time I had people visit my house, one of my three kitties greeted each person at the door and led them into the living room where all the other people were. She acted like she was giving the party. Meanwhile the other two figured out who the allergic people were and sat on them, purring.

Cats tend to gravitate to the ones who don't do Drooling Cat Fan all over them, and they tend to be the ones who are allergic/dislike cats/have had enough of being sat on.

In a crowning moment of heartwarming, a friend who is totally allergic to cats took home two abandoned kittens - abandoned because they were farm cats and no one was feeding them or taking care of them and the mama cat was no longer feeding them. His seven-year-old is totally spoiling them. (So is he. He loves cats.)

My Maine coon doesn't shed, nor does her oriental short hair sister. But my domestic short hair classic tabby sheds all over the place. And he takes over the pillows. I can't get too upset. He is the ultimate lap cat. It doesn't take much to get him purring. I had to teach him that when human is using human litter box, it's not a good time to leap on lap expecting cuddles.

Kitties will attach themselves to a person, and when I adopt animals, I take into account the current household and who they'd want to join us as well as them taking to me. I never split up siblings if I don't have to. I have amazingly short adjustment times. And I have the best cat-sitter in the history of cat sitters. She brings toys. She plays with them. They love her.

Randomosity said...

AWWWWWWW! The last time I had people visit my house, one of my three kitties greeted each person at the door and led them into the living room where all the other people were. She acted like she was giving the party. Meanwhile the other two figured out who the allergic people were and sat on them, purring.

Cats tend to gravitate to the ones who don't do Drooling Cat Fan all over them, and they tend to be the ones who are allergic/dislike cats/have had enough of being sat on.

In a crowning moment of heartwarming, a friend who is totally allergic to cats took home two abandoned kittens - abandoned because they were farm cats and no one was feeding them or taking care of them and the mama cat was no longer feeding them. His seven-year-old is totally spoiling them. (So is he. He loves cats.)

My Maine coon doesn't shed, nor does her oriental short hair sister. But my domestic short hair classic tabby sheds all over the place. And he takes over the pillows. I can't get too upset. He is the ultimate lap cat. It doesn't take much to get him purring. I had to teach him that when human is using human litter box, it's not a good time to leap on lap expecting cuddles.

Kitties will attach themselves to a person, and when I adopt animals, I take into account the current household and who they'd want to join us as well as them taking to me. I never split up siblings if I don't have to. I have amazingly short adjustment times. And I have the best cat-sitter in the history of cat sitters. She brings toys. She plays with them. They love her.

Silver Adept said...

Oh, I would totally visit a cat cafe, even with my two indoor kittens and what might be one or more outdoor kittens that are hanging around (providing food and shelter for the neighbor's indoor/outdoor cats, basically).

When it comes to cats choosing people, well, that's how I have Auxiliary Cat 2.0, after A.C. 1.0 suffered a fatal hardware-related error a couple years ago. In the shelter house, I was leaning toward a quiet black cat when a blue matched up the stairs, jumped into my lap, and demanded that I pet her. That was the end of my choice in the matter. She still prefers me to my significant other - I get demands for petting, significant other gets batted at when trying to pet.

(As the designated litter person in our household, it it's possible to contain litter to a relatively small area around the litter boxes - if all the cats get trained to use a particular area, then the problem of litter in paws should be pretty easy to avoid.

Cat hair everywhere is a very different thing - unless you have shorthairs, there will be shedding. Even then, cat hair accumulates in the oddest places...)

Silver Adept said...

Oh, I would totally visit a cat cafe, even with my two indoor kittens and what might be one or more outdoor kittens that are hanging around (providing food and shelter for the neighbor's indoor/outdoor cats, basically).

When it comes to cats choosing people, well, that's how I have Auxiliary Cat 2.0, after A.C. 1.0 suffered a fatal hardware-related error a couple years ago. In the shelter house, I was leaning toward a quiet black cat when a blue matched up the stairs, jumped into my lap, and demanded that I pet her. That was the end of my choice in the matter. She still prefers me to my significant other - I get demands for petting, significant other gets batted at when trying to pet.

(As the designated litter person in our household, it it's possible to contain litter to a relatively small area around the litter boxes - if all the cats get trained to use a particular area, then the problem of litter in paws should be pretty easy to avoid.

Cat hair everywhere is a very different thing - unless you have shorthairs, there will be shedding. Even then, cat hair accumulates in the oddest places...)

EdinburghEye said...

I would go to a cat cafe if I was away from home and suffering cat withdrawal.

Which reminds me, my affectionate black cat needs to be let in, fed, and will probably then demand quality cuddling time before bed.

EdinburghEye said...

I would go to a cat cafe if I was away from home and suffering cat withdrawal.

Which reminds me, my affectionate black cat needs to be let in, fed, and will probably then demand quality cuddling time before bed.

Paul A. said...

My parents' old cat could open nearly any door with a bit of effort, to the point that they had to put a latch on the refrigerator -- as long as the door opened toward him. Despite his mastery at pulling doors open, he never got the hang of "push".

Once he pulled a cupboard open, investigated within, and the door shut behind him; he was stuck there until someone figured out where he was and let him out, even though was no physical reason he couldn't have just nudged the door open himself.

(On a tangent from the subject of themed cafés, there's one around here that's a boardgame café: for a flat hourly fee, which is waived for first-time visitors, you can take any of their large collection of games off the shelf and play it with whoever's with you.)

Kristycat said...

My cat, when I was a little kid, had his front claws removed. Most people would say this was cruel and he shouldn't have been let outside, because he'd be in danger from wild or feral animals or other cats near the house. While I agree that it's cruel (I don't declaw my cats now that I'm the grownup and I get to make the call), in his case, all it did was give all the neighborhood animals a fighting chance.

The sweet loving kitty who was incredibly patient with everyone, including large dogs and small children, would nevertheless leave us weekly sacrifices outside our door of whatever he had murdered lately - lizards, frogs, baby birds, etc. He was widely acknowledged as Boss-Cat amongst the other outdoor cats, and we had it on good authority that despite being neutered, he did his level best to impregnate the nearby queens anyway.

Probably the worst was his long-running feud with the black racer who lived in the woods next to my house. I never thought a snake's face could show so many emotions, but over the course of several months, as I had to rescue the poor thing time and time again, I swear I caught terror, sheepish embarrassment, and gratitude in those little snaky eyes.

Mithras90 said...

Our cat used to do the same tne first year or so we kept him inside when we lived in a city apartment. Eventually we had to get a litter box that looked a bit like a cat carrier so when he would try and dig his way to China the litter wouldn't go all over the bathroom floor. LOL!

Mithras90 said...

Our cat used to do the same tne first year or so we kept him inside when we lived in a city apartment. Eventually we had to get a litter box that looked a bit like a cat carrier so when he would try and dig his way to China the litter wouldn't go all over the bathroom floor. LOL!

Lonespark said...

I would go if I could afford to, and yeah, working at one sounds pretty great, too. My cat died and my son turned out to be allergic and now we live in someone else's house. I love cats so much, and petting one and getting it to purr is nice therapy.

Lonespark said...

I would go if I could afford to, and yeah, working at one sounds pretty great, too. My cat died and my son turned out to be allergic and now we live in someone else's house. I love cats so much, and petting one and getting it to purr is nice therapy.

Hyaroo said...

Weird how some cats just seem to randomly attach themselves to certain people. One of my former cats was a shy and reserved creature -- he was affectionate towards me, but didn't like strangers and visitors and tended to hide when company came around...

...except for this one friend of mine. For whatever reason, the cat instantly adored him and would always come up to greet him and receive pettings. Not that my friend did anything in particular to deserve this adoration (he didn't treat the cat any differently than most my other friends did), but for some reason he was the great exception to the rule. "I don't like visitors -- but if it's that guy, it's okay."

But I'm absolutely a cat person. I always used to have cats, before I moved -- my current apartment isn't very cat-friendly. A cat cafe sounds like an awesome thing.

Hyaroo said...

Weird how some cats just seem to randomly attach themselves to certain people. One of my former cats was a shy and reserved creature -- he was affectionate towards me, but didn't like strangers and visitors and tended to hide when company came around...

...except for this one friend of mine. For whatever reason, the cat instantly adored him and would always come up to greet him and receive pettings. Not that my friend did anything in particular to deserve this adoration (he didn't treat the cat any differently than most my other friends did), but for some reason he was the great exception to the rule. "I don't like visitors -- but if it's that guy, it's okay."

But I'm absolutely a cat person. I always used to have cats, before I moved -- my current apartment isn't very cat-friendly. A cat cafe sounds like an awesome thing.

redsixwing said...

I am terribly allergic to dogs, and pretty badly allergic to cats (dogs == instant reaction; cats take a while) but I'd go to a cat cafe. Especially if I got a chance to make friends with a particular cat, much as one can have a friendly relationship with a barista such that visiting the coffee shop makes the day better, visiting a friend at a cat cafe would just be great.

A business in my hometown has a small dog as a greeter, and I am very fond of him (even if I'm allergic to him) so I can't imagine that a cat cafe would be different.

redsixwing said...

I am terribly allergic to dogs, and pretty badly allergic to cats (dogs == instant reaction; cats take a while) but I'd go to a cat cafe. Especially if I got a chance to make friends with a particular cat, much as one can have a friendly relationship with a barista such that visiting the coffee shop makes the day better, visiting a friend at a cat cafe would just be great.

A business in my hometown has a small dog as a greeter, and I am very fond of him (even if I'm allergic to him) so I can't imagine that a cat cafe would be different.

boutet said...

I would be all over a cafe that was also an aquarium. You miss out on the petting, but I love fish (jellyfish!) and they're so relaxing to watch. And no hair in your food! I live in quite literally the middle of the continant (East-West, not North-South) and the nearest aquarium is entire provinces away (or states, if I went South) so really I'd spend a lot of time at an aquarium whether or not they were a cafe.
Edited to say: I do mean literally the middle. When I drive to work I pass the big sign that tells you you've just passed the center.

Friendly cats sounds fun though. I like programs that bring animals and people together, like one locally that brings dogs in to visit the elderly living in care.

boutet said...

I would be all over a cafe that was also an aquarium. You miss out on the petting, but I love fish (jellyfish!) and they're so relaxing to watch. And no hair in your food! I live in quite literally the middle of the continant (East-West, not North-South) and the nearest aquarium is entire provinces away (or states, if I went South) so really I'd spend a lot of time at an aquarium whether or not they were a cafe.
Edited to say: I do mean literally the middle. When I drive to work I pass the big sign that tells you you've just passed the center.

Friendly cats sounds fun though. I like programs that bring animals and people together, like one locally that brings dogs in to visit the elderly living in care.

Charles Scott said...

Not only do I want to go to a cat cafe, I want to work at one.

I imagine a job there would involve more than baristing, but also cleaning air-filters, changing litter, etc

Charles Scott said...

Not only do I want to go to a cat cafe, I want to work at one.

I imagine a job there would involve more than baristing, but also cleaning air-filters, changing litter, etc

Lonespark said...

That's what I thought, too, Ygorbla. My son likes cats fine, but living with one made him a very sick baby/toddler.

Lonespark said...

That's what I thought, too, Ygorbla. My son likes cats fine, but living with one made him a very sick baby/toddler.

boutet said...

Oh yeah, the litter changing. I guess I wouldn't want to work there. Litter-related-cleaning is the main reason I don't want to own cats myself. I'm sure there must be cats in the world that don't do it, but every cat I've taken care of for people has kicked their litter all over the place. Horrible feeling, used litter sticking to your socks.

boutet said...

Oh yeah, the litter changing. I guess I wouldn't want to work there. Litter-related-cleaning is the main reason I don't want to own cats myself. I'm sure there must be cats in the world that don't do it, but every cat I've taken care of for people has kicked their litter all over the place. Horrible feeling, used litter sticking to your socks.

Ygorbla said...

It seems to me that it'd be a particularly good thing for people with mild allergies -- people who like cats and can do fine for an hour or so around them, but couldn't keep them at home.

Ygorbla said...

It seems to me that it'd be a particularly good thing for people with mild allergies -- people who like cats and can do fine for an hour or so around them, but couldn't keep them at home.

Frenchroast said...

I would definitely go to a cat cafe. There's a bookshop here that has a couple of cat residents, and I like going there b/c of that.

I remember when I was backpacking, I missed my cats so much. The hostel I stayed at in Romania had a cat, and it was so friendly and it made me feel so much better to have a cat around that I could pet and cuddle.

Frenchroast said...

I would definitely go to a cat cafe. There's a bookshop here that has a couple of cat residents, and I like going there b/c of that.

I remember when I was backpacking, I missed my cats so much. The hostel I stayed at in Romania had a cat, and it was so friendly and it made me feel so much better to have a cat around that I could pet and cuddle.

Mithras90 said...

Yeah, I would go to a cat cafe. We have a cat (a huge monster) and we seem to be acquiring another cat who looks a lot like our owned cat because my husband can't bear the thought that someone's abandoned him so he feeds him and fusses him.

Mithras90 said...

Yeah, I would go to a cat cafe. We have a cat (a huge monster) and we seem to be acquiring another cat who looks a lot like our owned cat because my husband can't bear the thought that someone's abandoned him so he feeds him and fusses him.

Nora said...

I would absolutely go to a place like that.

We have two cats. Both of them are crazy about me. My husband is very fond of the one, who basically teases him by pretending to want to be petted and then, when my husband gets close, running away.

Nora said...

I would absolutely go to a place like that.

We have two cats. Both of them are crazy about me. My husband is very fond of the one, who basically teases him by pretending to want to be petted and then, when my husband gets close, running away.

Gelliebean said...

I would love a cat cafe.... so many fuzzy things!

There is a really great little shop in a town about 45 minutes away from me, where they sell all kinds of rocks, semi-precious beads, geodes, etc. and it is owned by the furriest long-haired kitty ever. The proprietor of the store told me that the cat was there when they moved from their previous location. :-)

Chaos has become very proficient at opening things (drawers, cabinets, etc) and taking other things out of them. Most recently, the thing to be opened is a little set of plastic drawers on my bathroom counter, and the things to be taken out are all of my hairbands, which she chases around the house and then puts away very neatly in her water dish when she is through playing with them. DH says she waits very politely until she hears my car leave before going in there.

chris the cynic said...

and we had it on good authority that despite being neutered, he did his level best to impregnate the nearby queens anyway.

Cats will try things that seem even more unlikely to produce offspring than sex while neutered. For example: sex with a bunny while neutered.

I know that, because of the details of the setup, the cat had to be going to the bunny rather than the other way around. I know that the cat was neutered and female. It only now occurs to me that I have no idea if the bunny was male or not. No idea at all.

I learned about the cat and bunny's relationship second hand, and I prefer it that way.

chris the cynic said...

and we had it on good authority that despite being neutered, he did his level best to impregnate the nearby queens anyway.

Cats will try things that seem even more unlikely to produce offspring than sex while neutered. For example: sex with a bunny while neutered.

I know that, because of the details of the setup, the cat had to be going to the bunny rather than the other way around. I know that the cat was neutered and female. It only now occurs to me that I have no idea if the bunny was male or not. No idea at all.

I learned about the cat and bunny's relationship second hand, and I prefer it that way.

chris the cynic said...

[Death of small animals, as cats are wont to do.]

That wouldn't surprise me but the problem is whatever her motivation it doesn't change the occasional dead small animal turning up around, and at one point she actually brought a live mouse into the house. (Because she still wanted to play with it, I guess.) The sound of her mewing to be let in with her mouth full of mouse made me think she was injured or something so I rushed to let her in only to have her let loose the mouse, inside the house, so the chase could begin.

She tried again later on and it turns out that she's just as bad at obeying the command, "Drop it," as my dog. I had to step outside being careful not to let her in, close the door so the mouse could not that way flee, and bop the cat on the head to make her drop the mouse which then ran away. I don't actually think that was the second time she tried to bring a live mouse into the house, I do think it was the last.

And there was the time of the bird in the garage. I tried so damn hard to separate the cat from the bird but there's so much stuff in the garage and both the cat and the bird were faster and smaller than I was. (And the cat was either faster than the bird or better at strategy because every time she let it go she caught it again.) Finally I thought I succeeded in getting the two separated so I could save the bird only to realize that I'd only been able to separate the cat from the bird because she had finally killed the bird.

Being a cat that was raised from kittenhood by humans (my family) she's never been taught that the purpose of killing things is to eat them, so she just leaves bodies once she's done with her victims.

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