Rant: Should We Have Cat Cafes in Boston?

I have sometimes jokingly complained that Boston discriminates against cats. There are a number of dog parks in the city, and dogs are welcomed on the patios of numerous restaurants. However, you won't find a single cat park or any restaurant telling patrons that they can bring their cats to their patios. Dogs seem to get all the love and attention, and that doesn't seem fair.

However, there's currently plans to open a Cat Café in Boston. A Sanctuary Cafe, Inc., led by Brittany L. Baker, is planning on opening at 80 Charles Street. It will be a "Benefit corporation creating a cafe environment for people and cats to enjoy and provide a living wage for employees." At this point, there seems to be little additional information about this new business. 

There was a prior cat cafe in Boston, in Brighton, the PURR Cat Cafe, which was mired in drama and controversy. It somehow lasted about two years and certainly wasn't representative of other cat cafes around the world. Hopefully, this new business won't make the same mistakes. 

At a cat café, you can get food and drink while watching and interacting with a number of cats owned by the café. Think of it kind of as an adult petting zoo. You can't bring your own cats to the café, but you can pet and play with those that are there. Though Japan is well known for its cat cafés, the first one actually opened in Taiwan in 1998. Cat cafes didn't open in Japan until 2004, the first one located in Osaka. Today, there may be as many as 100 cat cafés in Tokyo alone, some that specialize in certain types of cats, from black cats to fat cats.

Customers generally pay an hourly fee to remain at the café, with extra costs for any food and drink. Though you might have concerns with hygiene, the Japanese, who are are fastidious about cleanliness, have little issue with these cafés. Generally, everyone entering the café must first wash their hands or use a hand sanitizer. The café also have numerous air fresheners, conceal the litter boxes and frequently use vacuums to pick up cat hair. Japanese law also has strict cleanliness requirements for these establishments. Boston should pay attentiion!

Cat cafés are popular in Japan because many apartments forbid pets, and others are too busy to take care of a pet. These cafés are also a way to provide some comfort for those who are stressed or lonely. Beside cat cafés, you will also find rabbit cafés, and there might now be even a few other types of pet cafés. The cats are protected from abuse by the patrons, with strict rules on not bothering or tormenting the cats, especially if they are sleeping. Some cat cafes allow adoption of their cats, often working closely with local animal shelters. 

The idea of cat cafés has begun to spread out of Asia and the first one that opened in Europe was Cafe Neko in Vienna, Austria. Others have since opened in Europe, including the Cat Caffe in Zagreb, Croatia, which opened in 2017. I may try to visit the Cat Caffe when I visit Croatia next month.

I'm a firm proponent that Boston should have cat cafes. There's no reason why, if it's properly operated and regulated, such businesses shouldn't exist. Dog lovers already have plenty of places for themselves, so it is time to give cat lovers a place of their own. Hygiene issues can be adequately handled, and the Japanese have shown how that is possible. Such cafes can be very therapeutic, as petting a purring cat can provide such joy and emotional support. 

What are your thoughts on cat café in Boston?