Is It Ethical to Visit a Cat Café in Japan?

Neko cafes (animal cafes) in Japan are extremely popular. These cafes appear to be regular coffee shops on the outside. Inside, there are dozens of cats roaming around, demanding to be petted. Although these cafés have been linked to Japan, they owed their origins to Taiwan in 1998. But is it ethically correct to use these furry kittens as showpieces? This idea may seem bizarre or even cruel to some westerners. But, they need first to assess the lifestyle of the people and the animals in urban Japan. There’s a shortage of space. Most people rent homes, and most landlords don’t allow their tenants to keep pets. What can cat lovers and stray cats do in such situations? They find a lovely meeting spot at cat cafes. The animal lovers are happy to snuggle with these tiny creatures, and the cats find a home.

Safety Rules Implemented by Local Authorities

There can be many types of cats found in a typical cat café. Some cafes create their niche. For instance, some cafes only keep cats from specific breeds. Other distinctions are made on the basis of color or weight. Regardless of what you have in your cat café, you have to take responsibility for the animals. The café owners have to follow strict animal safety rules. These rules discourage animal exploitation. It is difficult to formulate a view based on your one experience in a specific shop. These animal cafes have become a part of the local culture, and different people adopt different ways of presenting their cats.

Why Cats Are Safer in Cafes

It will be ignorant to say that Japan has zero cases of violence against animals. Some cafes do break the law and don’t invest in the best facilities for the cats. Animal rights activists are right to question such practices. But cat cafes are not intrinsically exploitative. Finding a permanent home for domesticated animals in Japan is not easy. As long as the cafes are treated as sanctuaries for such animals, they pose no major threat to animals. You can also read more about these animals at the café!