notreallystars: a lit candle in darkness (Default)
notreallystars ([personal profile] notreallystars) wrote2019-12-28 06:15 pm
Entry tags:

Cats did not sign up for this emotional labour

I went to a cat cafe today and I'm having some feelings. I'm not sure if this needs a warning of any kind - harrassment of animals maybe?

First of all, the cats were beautiful. There were some young kittens who were really sweet, and there was an older cat who was majestic and aloof but also incredibly fluffy. It was lovely to spend time around animals, as I really miss having pets. My friend and I had hot chocolates, talked, and stroked cats that came up to us and I sort of feel that that's what you're intended to do. There were a lot of children there though who chased the cats around the cafe, cornered a few of them by a wall when they were clearly trying to get away, and one parent who lifted his child up so that the child could pet a cat who was very obviously hiding from human interaction. I feel very not good about him.

There were a lot of good house rules there (don't pick up the cats, don't wake sleeping cats etc.) that all seem designed to get people to consider what the cats might want, but they didn't seem to have that effect. It was a bit upsetting to see kittens being chased around a room by people they were clearly trying to get away from. I don't know whether this is just what children are like, or whether we've all become so used to the idea that people who work in food/retail are there to make sure we get the things we want that the children assumed that the cats would be the same, but it was very clear that the cats did not want to be played with.

Apparently the cafe is also a shelter and the cats there can be adopted. I can only imagine that, after being in the cafe, the cats must be relieved to only have a few humans wanting to fuss them.
delphi: An illustrated crow kicks a little ball of snow with a contemplative expression. (Default)

[personal profile] delphi 2019-12-29 12:15 am (UTC)(link)
Yikes. The idea of a cat cafe is charming, and doubly so if it can be a nice, chill environment for cats in need of homes to get some exposure and socialization. But animals having to stay in a stressful environment and get hectored by customers is exactly why I'm so hesitant about those places.
worlds_of_smoke: A picture of a brilliantly colored waterfall cascading into a river (Default)

[personal profile] worlds_of_smoke 2019-12-29 12:20 am (UTC)(link)
I think that the fault for that probably falls on the shoulders of the parents. They're supposed to be watching after their damn kids.
enemyofperfect: a spray of orange leaves against a muted background (Default)

[personal profile] enemyofperfect 2019-12-29 04:35 am (UTC)(link)
I'm having trouble verifying this now, but I feel like I read once that in some cat cafes, there are little doors to let cats that have had enough of humans hang out in a back room for a while. It sounds some of the cats you saw could have used an escape more foolproof than a high perch...

But I'm glad you got to spend some mutually enjoyable time with the cats who sought you out!