An animal café, also known as a pet café, is a place where people can see and interact with various animals such as cats, dogs, rabbits, owls, or sheep while they enjoy the food and drinks.[1] The first animal café was a cat cafe established in 1998 in Taiwan.[2] Since then a number of cafes for various animals have been established globally and become increasingly popular.
History
Taiwan created the very first animal café in 1998 which was a cat cafe.[2] Thereafter, animal cafes were created in Japan before spreading to the rest of the world. A Japanese tourist visited Taiwan and discovered the potential of the idea before coming back to Japan to establish the first animal café in Osaka in 2004, where the concept flourished.[3] Today animal cafes are found across Europe and America yet they are still more popular in Asian countries and Japan is known as the country with the most animal cafes in the world.[3] Originally the cafes were created for people who enjoy the company of animals however there are now many animal cafes for abandoned or lost animals as well. Such animal cafes are used as a way to help these abandoned or lost animals by providing them not only home and food but also the opportunity to be adopted by customers of the café.[4]
Types
As individuals prefer different animals, there are a number of various animal cafes in the world.
Cat café
Cat cafés are one of the most common animal cafes, perhaps due to the popularity of cats as pets. A number of different types of cats can be found at cat cafés. Sometimes cats are allowed in all public areas of the cafe but in other cases there is a separate play area where people can play with the cats.[5]
Some cat cafes have cats which are available for adoption, such as those which were strays.[3]
Dog café
A dog café is another very common animal café. A dog café is more active, noisy, and filled with motion compared to a cat café due to the characteristics of dogs.
Like a cat café, a dog café also provides an adoption system to customers who have the ability to raise them.
Controversy
There are several arguments objecting to animal cafés, mostly from a viewpoint of animal protection.
There are also cases of crimes against animal welfare in animal cafés. The owner of a cat café in Thailand was arrested by police due to disobedience against the Animal Protection Law. Seven cats died at his café due to poor safety care.[22] Also, such welfare and safety problem can be found in South Korea as well. For example, animals in the cafes were not allowed to sleep until the cafes shut the door late at night.[23] Such animal safety problems are generated due to the absence of regulations on animal cafes in South Korea because animal cafes are a relatively recent phenomenon.[24]
There have also been cases in which customers who were injured by animals at the café complained about the café's safety policy. These cases occurred when the café owners did not take any responsibility for injuries.[23]
See also
- Coffeeshop
- Animal welfare
- Animal protectionism
References
- 実は台湾が発祥！アジアから世界に広がる猫カフェ巡り^
- Lindsey Galloway. Feline fun in Japan's cat cafes 3 April 2012, retrieved 24 September 2018^
- The Origin of Cat Cafes and Their Benefits to Cats and Humans – Bearwallowcafe Bearwallowcafe, 12 September 2017, retrieved 24 September 2018