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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.
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.
