What should I keep in mind at a cat cafe?

Make sure to purr the drinks carefully, don’t ask meow, I have no experience of such things.

The cats in a business like this will have chosen cats with friendly personalities. In general, cats prefer to approach rather than be approached. I know you plan to expect toys to be provided, but a cat would love a long string that you dangle or drag across the ground. If you pet them, don’t pet against the fur. Pet from the head to the tail. Most cats like their ears scratched.

Cats can be cuddly, but some cats don’t like to be handled and can lash out by biting or scratching.

The cat really has the control. Lol. Don’t try to pick up or grab a cat that is trying to get away.

If a cat doesn’t come up to me I usually make a clicking noise or say “kitty kitty” in a high voice to see if it makes the cat want to come over. I put my hand out, and if he wants to be petted he’ll walk up to your hand and sometimes put the top of his head right into your hand to start the petting, or sometimes put his paw in your hand.

If you’re not accustomed to cats I would just observe other people at first.

Note: like any pet, if they have been abused in the past a hand out can look like a hand that will hit or hurt the animal, so if they are frightened that could be why. I usually put my hand out with my palm up (not aggressive) if I’m trying to let the cat know I want him to come over.

NOT meant as a cat domination joke…the cat IS the boss!!! Cats are a lot like temperamental females…do it their way & you’ll be happy!!!

Most cats are uncomfortable with aggressive people at least until they get to know them. NEVER rub a cat’s stomach even IF they turn it up & act like they’re asking as that’s a good way to be bitten or clawed. @snowberry is correct on stroking them in the natural direction of the fur (head to tail). Stroking against the fur is like being struck by lightening & only serves to agitate them. Most cats purr when they are enjoying the interaction; however, a few will purr & then show their dislike so don’t get offended. Just back off for a second & you can probably resume what you were doing a few seconds later.

I suggest that when you first get seated that you wait for a cat to come to you. That way it is their idea & they don’t feel threatened by you…so far. Talk softly to them. When you go to pet them, don’t start by holding your hand up over their head & coming down for the scratch. A hand over the head & coming toward them can cause them to feel threatened & uncomfortable. You might do better gently sliding your hand behind them & start around the shoulders & gently stroking down toward the tail. Once you gain a cat’s trust, you can do almost anything & they will like it.

Since these cats are in a social situation most of the day, I hope it is safe to assume that they are pretty well socialized. These cats might be easier to deal with than taking a new cat into your home. At the same time, you are still new to them, so tread carefully so BOTH of you have a pleasant experience!!!

IF a cat looks interested but is kind of standoffish, WAIT & let them decide how they feel comfortable proceeding. Sometimes, simply placing your hand onto the table will entice them enough to check you out further & they might start by rubbing their head on your hand. From there it could be relatively safe to assume that you are now friends!!!

There may or may not be toys available. Good news, cats are easy to entice. Simply fluttering your fingers is sometimes entertaining & they might to try & catch a finger. You can also tear off a slender strip of a napkin & wiggle it in front of them & they’ll pounce on it. A wiggling straw can also amuse them. They don’t usually have a very long attention span. When they stop playing, you stop playing. Wait a minute or 2 & try it again. They’ll probably go back to being entertained!!!

The first thing to keep in mind is that you’ll be in the presence of a superior species.

The cats will train you to satisfy their demands by giving easy to comprehend cues. You don’t have to worry about anything.

@snowberry has the best reply. These cats have been chosen to enhance the experience. Talk to the people who work there, tell them you are not cat-adept, they will likely be pleased to recommend the best cat(s) for the newbie experience.

Ohhh…I’m happy for you! What a delightful thing to think of to do! I’m a cat lover, and had 2 for 17 years. Relax and enjoy. Please let us know how it went!!

Don’t order anything that contains fish.

Cats are all unique. Figuring out one cat means you have figured out exactly that cat, and only that cat.

I have no idea what a cat cafe may be but I encourage you to use your best table manners.

The closest Cat Cafe to me is about 60 miles away so I’ve not been there. Waiting until I’m in the area to visit. From what I’ve been told, it’s not a restaurant, but more of a coffee house with some pleasing music playing all the time.So, it’s a place to go relax & enjoy playing with the resident cats. They have set times every day when they feed the cats & people make reservations so they can have a front row seat to watch the cats being fed. Certain cats are up for adoption. Don’t know how they choose which one to adopt out, but IF it’s not wearing a collar, you may adopt. The ones wearing collars are permanent residents.

When they first opened, I read that the cats we all feral cats rescued from the streets that were going to be socialized before being introduced to the public. The local Humane Society gives them their shots & any vet work needed in exchange for getting them off the streets. I’ve NOT heard of anyone having a bad experience, so I can only assume that everything is going OK. They’ve been open just over 2 years with NO complaints that I’ve heard.

Since Mimi doesn’t live in the US, her experience may be completely different, yet still some of the same. @Mimishu1995 I hope you have a pleasant experience with your first time with the kitties!!! Cats can be very demanding & very loving all at the same time!!! Once you’ve had your experience, please fill us in on how everything went!!!

This Q has put me into cat withdrawal. I’ll have to visit some kitties soon.

In hindsight, I can’t go visit the Cafe somewhat near to me because I’ll be adopting EVERY cat not wearing a collar!!! Better off leaving them there where they are well fed & loved!!!

What is a cat café???

My guess is to have allergy pills handy.

This might be helpful.

Many years ago, I wanted a cat for a pet. I researched how to go about choosing one. The explanation I read was emphatic that the cat chooses the owner. It said to go in to a room full of kittens and sit on the floor and wait for one to come to me. That’s my cat.

Perhaps it’s the same for adult cats. I suggest you ask the staff at the cafe. Perhaps a cat will choose you.

By the way, I got a cat as a pet, but it was given to me, so I didn’t really get to try the method. That cat ran away, so perhaps that’s also indicative of the method. That cat chose someone else.

@Hawaii_Jake That’s how I choose ALL my pets!!! It works wonderfully in finding the right dog as well!!! Now, when someone offers me a pet that “needs” a home, they don’t get the option to choose & it still works well. Still my most memorable, BEST pets chose me!!!

@Dutchess_III Cat cafes can be found in Japan. An eatery that has lots of cats lounging around.

Oh. In America people would be whining “I’m allergic!”

I’m a life-long cat lover. What I tend to do at a cat cafe, is calmly and quietly enter and look around, then unless a cat comes up to me immediately, I’ll sit down and drink and look around at the cats. Often at least one or two will come over to say hi. If not, after I’ve been there for a bit, I’ll quietly go around to look at all the cats, and engage the friendly outgoing ones first, and then go approach the resting and remote ones, if they are open to it.

As for the approach, I move slowly but relaxedly, and tend to sit or crouch to lower myself to be less huge for them, look at them with a friendly face and slowly blink in a friendly way, and slowly hold one hand out in their direction to offer them a chance to come over and sniff it. Most cats (especially the host cats at a cafe, if not busy or too tired) will come over and sniff the hand, then rub themselves against the hand, and/or walk close enough for me to pet them a bit. I gently touch, pet, and/or scratch them, slowly trying the head, neck, back, and behind the ears, seeing what they like and don’t like, and letting my hand stay near them scratching while they move themselves against it to show me what they like. This generally works really well.

Some cats will let you touch their stomachs, but some who roll over to offer it might not actually want you to do that, so watch out for that, or any sign that they’re getting annoyed OR too stimulated. But most cats in a cafe will be ones that won’t bite or scratch you.

I WANT A CAT CAFE!!

Yeah, cat cafes are great to have!

If a cat should jump up on the seat opposite and begin to engage in conversation I would keep my eye on it while leaving slowly by the nearest door or window and never return.

Some cats just talk @flutherother!

@flutherother I had a cat for 23 years that was a better conversationalist than most of my human dates. I suggest that you try sitting there & learning something new!!! ;}

I think next time say something in the moment. You’ll be prepared next time if it happens again to say don’t touch her or whatever.

Don’t expect anything but a cover charge. You are going to a petting zoo with animals not known for their cooperation. Maybe you’ll get rubbed on, maybe you’ll get toxoplasmosis. Just be gentle and don’t press the cats for attention. Watch their tails for sign of emotion. On the ground and flicking about is a warning..

You mean ketchup or mayo?

Cats are attracted to the word “allergic” so if you say it, they will come. Then they will come ask for attention until they get enough. At that point they will either walk away or scratch/bite you.

Update: I finally went to the cafe. I have seen cats before. I’ve seen them in real life, I’ve seen them on Youtube. But seeing the cats at the cafe was a totally different experience to me. It was mind-blowing! Mostly it was because I had never seen any of the cat breed in real life before. I had only seen the usual domestic cats, I had never seen cats like American shorthairs or tortoiseshell. It was like stepping onto another world! And there were so many chubby cats. I have never seen any chubby cats in real life before.

I don’t know what happened there, but most of the cats there were lying on the shelves and sleeping. If they weren’t sleeping they were just lying there lazily looking around. All of the fat cats just lie there and do nothing. Some were so lazy they looked like they were parts of the furniture. There were a few slim cats moving around. There was this one black cat that didn’t like to be petted and just moved around. He looked like he wanted to play. He even pounced onto another cat and got a hiss. I wished I could play with him, but the toy they provided was just a flexible stick with nothing else, so it was hard to make the toy quick enough for him to play.

My favorite cat was a fat grey and white cat who was lying on a lower shelf. I petted him and he purred :) Most cats I petted let me do it, but he looked like the only one to enjoy it.

All and all, it was a great experience and I would like to come there again if I have time :)

I have a couple of questions though. A few cats had tears in their eyes. My favorite fat cat also had runny nose. I don’t know if the cats have any medical problem that isn’t taken care of. And also I saw a bunch of cats in cages at the back of the cafe. They told me those cats are there because they are supposed to be breeders. I’m not sure if it is ethical to put them in cages like that.

^^ GREAT!!! I thought that you would have a pleasant experience. You need to remember that it was “your” first time with these cats; but, it’s NOT the first time these cats were exposed to strangers fawning over them. Most cats are mellow by nature as well as they tend to sleep all day & roam during the night. So, lying around on the shelves is somewhat a normal behavior. As far as the ones in the cages, I don’t like seeing any animal in a cage; but sometimes, it keeps them safer than running free. As long as they are fed well & treated well, I don’t see it as unethical. My guess is that those were the least social cats of the bunch that are still being trained to be social & you wouldn’t have enjoyed your experience with them so they keep them separated from the guests!!!

I am sooo glad that you had a pleasant experience on your visit to the cat cafe!!!

Hmmm…like you, I’m not crazy about the ones in cages. I don’t know a lot about it, but why would “breeders” need to be in cages? ugh! As far as the watery eyes and sniffles, that shouldn’t be happening – they should be treated for it. I’m guessing it’s one of those viruses that the humane societies here in the US medicate when they receive cats.

I’m glad you found one who liked to be petted. I don’t know what time you went, but if you go again you might want to call first and find out when you’ll likely find them more awake. Like maybe before they eat, but not too soon before. There’s also nothing wrong with walking around and petting the sleepy ones. You’ll know if they like it or not; I would guess they would, and I’ve had a lot of experience with cats.

I’m really glad you enjoyed yourself. Maybe next time stop off at a pet store and buy a few toys for yourself. 2–3 foot sticks with feathers or strings on the ends are good. So are wind-up toys that move after you wind them up. Be sure and have several toys though, you may be more popular than you planned and 1 toy for 6 interested cats isn’t good. LOL

Thanks for reporting back!!

The watery eyes and runny nose can be signs of distemper.

@Dutchess_III Thanks! I couldn’t think of it at the time. ;)

@Mimishu1995

Is there a board of health or animal welfare that you can contact, about the well being of those cats?

Yeahhh…what ^^ said! The same agency might look into why the “breeder” cats are in cages.

This reminds me of a pint I once had in an unfamiliar pub. The place wasn’t very well lit and after taking my first few sips of Guinness I became aware of a shape emerging from the shadows at the chair to my right. It was a cat staring straight ahead, its head on a level with the bar. It paid me no attention so I mentioned it to the barman. Apparently, this cat came into the bar around the same time each evening to sit in the same chair for an hour or so minding its own business. It had done this regularly and for so long that no one paid it any attention.

Cool @flutherother.

@Brian1946 there doesn’t seem to be any near my place. Those cat cafes are opened by people who just have good intention and want to create an animal friendly environment. It wouldn’t surprise me if they turn out to be not experienced enough.

@Mimishu1995

What happens if you call 571–6937?

@Brian1946 Their phone numbers are completely different there. That number would go nowhere. Unless I’m missing a joke.

@smudges

That number is an extract from a listing I found for an animal welfare organization, in the city where @Mimishu1995 lives.

It was preceded by 2 sets of double digits.

The first set might be the country code, and the second might be the city code, but I’m not sure.

I’m also unsure of whether her area has 7-digit local calling, which is why I asked her what would happen if she called it.

@Brian1946 Gotcha. Thanks!

@Brian1946 I think I may give it a try. I’m actually not well-versed in those kind of things so I just don’t want to come off as creating drama out of nowhere. Anyway, I just have a feeling that place isn’t very competent. I still have some more cat cafes on my list that I want to visit. Hopefully I will get a better experience.