# Cat Cafe



## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

Why is everyone going mad for cat cafes?

If I trap my 2 cats in the house can I charge people £5 entrance fee and £3 for a coffee on the L1? I could borrow the next door neighbours cat too.

My favourite coffee shop has a pet dog in the corner, maybe they should charge to let people walk the dog


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## fatboyslim (Sep 29, 2011)

I'm going to the new cat cafe in Shoreditch tonight under sufferance. I suspect the coffee will be awful but my gf has an unhealthy obsession with cats so I must do my duty.

Cats are hip and trendy and cool so they can charge people to stroke them, why not! This is coming from the whole youtube cat video generation I think.


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## Taylor The Latte Boy (Dec 9, 2013)

Cat Cafe? Never heard of them! Is this a new thing?


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## fatboyslim (Sep 29, 2011)

Taylor The Latte Boy said:


> Cat Cafe? Never heard of them! Is this a new thing?


It comes from Japan. They are huge there. People are cat obsessed there.


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Flat white with cat hairs in it - lovely


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

fatboyslim said:


> I'm going to the new cat cafe in Shoreditch tonight under sufferance. I suspect the coffee will be awful but my gf has an unhealthy obsession with cats so I must do my duty.
> 
> Cats are hip and trendy and cool so they can charge people to stroke them, why not! This is coming from the whole youtube cat video generation I think.


They're temperamental, eat a lot, crap on your new doormat which is right besides the f*****g catflap to the outside (grrr) and cost a fortune in vets bills when they have turf wars. Mine are long hairs and no matter how much you wash you still end up covered in fur.

Still love them though.


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## espressotechno (Apr 11, 2011)

?? Related to those Cyvet coffee beans ?? LOL


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

Very much a gimmick, but I'm actually all for any cafe that goes down the route of encouraging you to sit back and relax.

I would sooner see an influx of Cat Cafes than any more cafes without comfy seats to sit in whilst enjoying the coffee


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## garydyke1 (Mar 9, 2011)

I prefer to cuddle a chicken than a cat & cats dont lay the right sort of eggs.

Can we have chicken cafes please?! Eggs would deffo be on the menu.


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## kikapu (Nov 18, 2012)

To avoid the hair and allergy issue they could use sphynx cat!









Although think they might put off more people!!


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

kikapu said:


> To avoid the hair and allergy issue they could use sphynx cat!
> 
> View attachment 5757
> 
> ...


Put off some people??? No, you're kidding!


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

I'm allergic to cats

But I'm not allergic to coffee

May venture in for a visit at some point soon

I wonder if 'fluffies' are on the menu


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## Charliej (Feb 25, 2012)

Drop in for a quick cat white or a kittyccino Glenn?


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## grimpeur (Oct 18, 2013)

They started in Japan where pets aren't allowed in rented accommodation but most people rent. There are a LOT of people who adore cats in Japan. The cafes are places where one can drink coffee and socialise with cats. Rent-a-pet! It almost arose out of necessity in Japan but here in the UK where pets tend to be tolerated it's maybe more of a novelty.

It's kind of a nice idea actually.

Spending time with animals can be very therapeutic and with a place like a cat cafe where an hourly rate is charged, the cats (who are often rescued) are treated well and given lots of affection without the commitment and responsibility of actually owning one.

I'm more of a dog person but a dog cafe would be chaos.


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

lol!

My favourite coffeeshop has a pet mini schnauzer, she's very well behaved and just sleeps in the corner.


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## rodabod (Dec 4, 2011)

aaronb said:


> They're temperamental, eat a lot, crap on your new doormat which is right besides the f*****g catflap to the outside (grrr) and cost a fortune...


Enough about our girlfriends. What about the cats?


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

What has the place come to.....


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## Charliej (Feb 25, 2012)

I guess they could offer some Indian style food as well Kitten Tikka Massala anyone?


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## Flibster (Aug 15, 2010)

grimpeur said:


> I'm more of a dog person but a dog cafe would be chaos.


So I shouldn't mention this place then?

http://www.thehappinessofhounds.com/


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## fatboyslim (Sep 29, 2011)

Ok so Lady Dinah's cat emporium in Shoreditch was an extremely traumatic experience. Avoid it at all costs. Its more of a social experiment than anything else.

Humans weren't acknowledging one another unless you got in the way of their cat enjoyment. Weird as hell. The tea was crap! Quickly escaped to brewdog and everything returned to normal.

The cats were also weird and aggressive, didn't like being stroked.


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## Flibster (Aug 15, 2010)

So the cats don't like people. Sounds like they're typical cats. As soon as someone invents a paw operated tin opener, we're dead to them.


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

fatboyslim said:


> Humans weren't acknowledging one another


Welcome to London


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

Depends on the cats really, my 2 couldn't give a stuff about you unless you have food.

That nice black and white cat 5 doors down though is always up for a cuddle when I walk past.


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## CoffeeJohnny (Feb 28, 2011)

No, no, no, no, no NO!


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## Charliej (Feb 25, 2012)

Is anyone surprised by these cafes after we live in a world where people will willingly put their bare feet in a fish tank to get all the dead skin eaten off by little fishies.


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

Charliej said:


> Is anyone surprised by these cafes after we live in a world where people will willingly put their bare feet in a fish tank to get all the dead skin eaten off by little fishies.


is that still a thing?

The 2 places near me that did it both closed down a few years ago, dont think either paid their rent and they both got evicted! Wonder what the bailiffs did with the fish...


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## Charliej (Feb 25, 2012)

aaronb said:


> is that still a thing?
> 
> The 2 places near me that did it both closed down a few years ago, dont think either paid their rent and they both got evicted! Wonder what the bailiffs did with the fish...


There are still 2-3 in and around Chorley and oddly enough the local College's hair and beauty dept. is located in town and they offer it in their salon, the only reason I know is they offer hot stone massages which really help my neck and back for only £12.50, unlike the ~£40 charged elsewhere, with the side benefits of a teenage beauty school student performing the massage rather than some older new age hippy type that knits their own macrobiotic meals.


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## Adelina (Dec 3, 2018)

Ok, so I can see this is an old topic and not many off you were excited about the idea, but this is exactly what I'm doing at the moment. I'm struggling with opening this cat café since April as there are so many unknown things to take into consideration and to be prepared for.

There are already several places like this in UK, but I think there is still room for one and I have an insane passion for tea and cats (so I will have a Cat Tea House). I know this business is not going to make me rich, but I will do my best to make it as successful as possible.

I actually joined this forum to learn more about good coffee. I might be a 'tea person' but I still want to respect my clients giving them the best coffee I can. I was actually saying today to my bf that some people might be dragged to this place so I hope they can at least enjoy their drinks (as I can see @*fatboyslim* 's experience was a negative one).

If you guys have any suggestions.. I would be happy to listen.


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## jimbojohn55 (Jan 15, 2016)

Hmm not sure its fair on the cats https://www.cats.org.uk/derbydistrict/news/cat-cafe

Im no expert and im in two minds on the cat cafe concept but It feels like a false environment, some of them are going to want to wander out the front door on occasion and I can imagine that not going well for some of them if its in town or by a road. If you can make it work great and the cats co-operate and are not stressed and you have their welfare at heart not using them as a marketing commodity then great, having said this imho for me it raises some concerns, but then I have a cat allergy.

I suppose the point im making is that for the sceptical (like me) you need to be able to defend the welfare of the cats as part of the concept. Now if you started a guinea pig or dog cafe some of our members would be straight there


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## Kitkat (Jan 25, 2018)

I've been to the Manchester one. Loved it but not for the cafe. Done right it's a great idea. Done right means the right cats who thrive on attention and are social as well as giving them places to escape to. Now if they could just combine cats with great coffee I'd be there every day.


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## MildredM (Feb 13, 2017)

jimbojohn55 said:


> Hmm not sure its fair on the cats https://www.cats.org.uk/derbydistrict/news/cat-cafe
> 
> Im no expert and im in two minds on the cat cafe concept but It feels like a false environment, some of them are going to want to wander out the front door on occasion and I can imagine that not going well for some of them if its in town or by a road. If you can make it work great and the cats co-operate and are not stressed and you have their welfare at heart not using them as a marketing commodity then great, having said this imho for me it raises some concerns, but then I have a cat allergy.
> 
> I suppose the point im making is that for the sceptical (like me) you need to be able to defend the welfare of the cats as part of the concept. Now if you started a guinea pig or dog cafe some of our members would be straight there


There's a guinea pig pub somewhere round here. It's a horrible idea, in my view.


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## jimbojohn55 (Jan 15, 2016)

MildredM said:


> There's a guinea pig pub somewhere round here. It's a horrible idea, in my view.


But I like the idea of a pub just for guinea pigs, ....


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## MildredM (Feb 13, 2017)

jimbojohn55 said:


> But I like the idea of a pub just for guinea pigs, ....


Marigold was fond of a drop as she reached her dotage . . .


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## Adelina (Dec 3, 2018)

@jimbojohn55's I have already gave a lot of thought to that matter and I visited several cat cafes from all over the world to see how they work and to be prepared for all these aspects. I know some people are against it but I've been to cafes were I could see that the cats were happy so there has to be a solution (I have also visited some dreadful cafes where cats were sick and the entire place stank). It will be impossible for cats to ever escape as I will have double doors. I have even thought about asking people to take their shoes off and use slippers to protect the animals from any harmful bacteria people might bring&#8230; but people might be put off by this&#8230; just an idea.

Just like us, there are cats that like being around people and cats that don't. My idea would be to adopt cats that are happy to be surrounded by people and I will also limit the number of people inside the cafe for animal's good.... It's quite a struggle but I'm not in this just for money.


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## Kitkat (Jan 25, 2018)

I don't know whether you've been to the Manchester one (it's a couple of years since I went - I'm assuming it's still there). It's bright and airy and all the cats seemed very relaxed and chilled out.


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## RazorliteX (Mar 2, 2014)

kikapu said:


> To avoid the hair and allergy issue they could use sphynx cat!
> 
> View attachment 5757
> 
> ...


Well, there you have it - the perfect answer for people who ever wondered what scratching a scrotum would be like.


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