Tokyo Cat Cafes Offer Feline Friendship for a Fee

By Julia Williams

Many things that originated in Japan have since become commonplace in America and other countries – origami, anime, martial arts, Pokémon, karaoke, teriyaki and sushi, to name just a few. In the animal arena, the Japanese have given us the Maneki Neko (Beckoning Cat), Hello Kitty, the Japanese Macaque (Snow Monkey), the Japanese Bobtail cat breed, and the Shiba Inu and Akita dog breeds. “Cat Cafes” are the latest Japanese craze. Although wildly popular in Tokyo and surrounding areas, it’s too early to tell if cat cafes will ever be found in America. I like the idea of cat cafes myself, but then I do have my reputation as Crazy Cat Lady to uphold.

What’s a cat cafe, you ask? It’s a quiet, cozy place where people can go to sip tea or a latte while enjoying the companionship of a room full of friendly cats. A “cat menu” introduces patrons to each of the different felines in the cafe, with photos and information on their name, breed, gender and age. The fee varies by establishment, but typically costs around $8 to $10 for an hour of feline friendship. The meticulously groomed resident cats are free to lounge wherever they please – on the sofas, chairs and tables, in cat trees and baskets, and even on your lap, if you’re lucky.

Most cat cafes have at least a dozen sociable felines that patrons can pet, talk to, photograph or play with – and just like the animals at the zoo, sometimes the cats sleep through visiting hours. Rules vary at the different cafes, but some won’t allow customers to wake the cats up, and some prohibit picking the cats up to hold them. Most do allow customers to pet the cats, but only if the cats are up for it. Because the cats’ welfare comes above all else, young children are not welcome at many cafes, and one who pulls on a cat’s tail will find themselves ushered quickly out the door.

Cat cafes must obtain a license and comply with strict regulations to ensure both the safety of the cats as well as cleanliness of the premises. Before interacting with the cats, customers must sanitize their hands and remove their shoes (a Japanese custom in homes but not typically in public places).

In Tokyo, where long work hours and tight housing regulations often prohibit pet ownership, the cat cafes fill a void. For many kitty lovers, a visit to a cat cafe is the only way they can get their feline fix. Though this cultural trend is only about five years old, it’s become all the rage. Tokyo proper boasts more than 50 cat cafes, with another 70 or so in the greater Tokyo area.

Cat cafes are not just the domain of elderly, childless ladies in frumpy sweaters either. The “catmosphere” appeals to all types of petless people, from young singles looking for a date to married couples who want to spend a quiet afternoon with some furry friends. Calico, one of Tokyo’s most popular cat cafes, advertises itself as a great “date spot,” a place to make friends — both human and feline — and a fun place to swing by after work. Calico has reportedly become so packed on weekends that reservations are recommended.

Paying money to hang out with felines doesn’t seem like a strange idea to a cat lover like me. I wouldn’t personally want to live without cats in my own home, but for those who can’t have a pet for one reason or another, a visit to a cat cafe would help quell that longing for feline friendship. What do you think? Could cat cafes ever become an American tradition?

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Can Dogs and Cats Live Together in Peace?

By Linda Cole

We've all heard the old saying, “Fighting like cats and dogs,” but is it true? In all the years I've lived with both, I've never had any serious incidents with dogs and cats living under the same roof. Sure, they've had their little turf wars when one of the dogs wants a spot on the couch and the cat won't move. Dogs and cats can live in peace, but you do need to be mindful of certain dog breeds that may not be as accepting of cats, and proper introductions need to take place before they can become house mates who won't demolish your home while you're gone.

Dogs and cats are both territorial, and we have to be respectful and understanding of their right to protect what they feel is theirs. In your pet's mind, a newcomer is trespassing, and even a cat will defend her space, toys, bed and human. A new dog or cat may also be dominant, which is why you need to take charge and defuse any confrontations from the start.

When adding a new cat to a home with a dog or vice versa, always introduce them slowly and never leave them alone in the same room unsupervised, especially if you have a dog breed who is known to not like cats. It doesn't mean they can't live together; it just means you need to keep a specific dog breeds' temperament in mind when it comes to the dog living with a cat.

It's best to put a new cat in another area of the home to allow her time to learn new smells, sounds and activity in the house. Don't forget to give her attention while she's confined to one area. When she's feeling comfortable in her new surroundings, then you can introduce her to other pets in the home. Put your dog on a leash and have him sit. Bring in the cat and let her wander around at her leisure without having to deal with an inquisitive dog trying to smell her. When the cat's ready, she'll check out the dog if she's interested, so don't force an introduction. It can take a couple weeks or more, so be patient.

The Siberian Husky is one of the dog breeds that may not get along well with cats. However, I had a male and female Husky at the same time and never had problems with any of my cats getting along with them. Jake, my male, would let his favorite cats curl up in his tail. My female, Cheyenne, wasn't as friendly towards them. She never tried to hurt any of the cats, but she always had a look in her eyes when any of them ran around the house. Two individual dogs of the same breed – one accepted the cats as buddies and one only tolerated them. I always made sure to keep the cats and Cheyenne separated when I wasn't home.

The responsible approach to take with any dog and cat relationship is to make sure the cat has a place where they can get away from the dog, just in case. It's also important to remember that just because dogs and cats get along when you're home, doesn't mean they do when you're gone. Dogs with a high prey drive like Huskies, sight hounds, Akita, Malamute, Basenji, Beagle, Border Collie, Bullmastiff, Doberman Pincher, Terriers, Elkhound, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Samoyed and Weimaraner are all on a list of dogs who may dislike cats. But since dogs are individuals, it's unfair to say none of these breeds will peacefully co-exist with cats. Some dogs on the list become great friends with cats, and dogs and cats can also get along well with other species, as evidenced in this article on interspecies animal friendships.

To know how your dog will respond to a cat, you need to understand and know them as individuals and not as a collective group in a specific breed. The same goes for a cat. Some cats will attack dogs!

Regardless of which dog breed or mixed breed you may have, not all will like cats and not all cats like dogs, no matter how much time you give them to get to know each other. Even though dogs may have been raised with cats as puppies and kittens, some dogs have a hard time resisting their prey drive that's hard wired in them. Dogs still act like dogs with the right kind of stimulus. It's always best to know your pets well, to keep everyone safe when you're away from home. Unless you know for certain, never leave them alone together.

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True Stories of Interspecies Animal Friendships

By Julia Williams

There are so many things about animals I love that it would be hard to pick just one thing I admire most. But when I see examples of unlikely animal friendships, particularly those of two natural born enemies, it really touches my heart. I’m convinced these incredible beings are much more evolved than most people think. Humans could learn a lot from these “animal odd couples” that play together, eat together, show affection for one another, and give and receive motherly attention. If dogs and elephants, ostriches and giraffes, hippos and tortoises, and birds and cats can get along so well, why can’t we?

While humans are busy warring with others we consider “different” than us, these animals are simply enjoying the companionship of another. They don’t consider race, or country, or religion. One could argue that animals don’t have the intellectual capacity to consider such things, and this is why these unlikely friendships can develop. I think this inability to reason might be what makes animals so special in my eyes.

Human beings think too much. If only we’d listen to our hearts instead of our heads, things would often go so much better. This is because the heart is never wrong. It never steers us down the path of war or conflict. It steers us toward love, kindness, affection and trust. I believe this is what interspecies animal friendships are all about. The cat listens to its heart, which tells it that a mouse can be its companion instead of its lunch.

Below are some of my favorite examples of interspecies animal friendships. These true stories of animals that form unlikely bonds are sure to touch your heart and make you go “awwww.”

The Dog and the Deer: this super cute video shows Buddy the black Lab playing in the yard with a white-tail deer who was found alone and malnourished when it was just a baby. Buddy’s owner bottle fed the baby deer and it bonded with the dog as well as their cats. In the video, Buddy and the deer chase each other around the yard and engage in hilarious mock sparring with their front legs. The deer is now free to wander and has been seen hanging out with his own kind, but frequently comes back to their house to play with the dog.

The Cat and the Deer video features an orange kitten licking a deer all over its face, then the two of them curl up together and fall asleep, but not before the deer gives the kitten an endearing lick on its nose. The Louis Armstrong song “What a Wonderful World” makes this footage even more charming.

Bea the Giraffe and Wilma the Ostrich live at Busch Gardens Theme Park in Tampa Bay, Florida. The park’s 65-acre Serengeti Plain is home to herds of giraffe, zebra, rhino, antelope and countless species of birds. Just as they do in the wild, the animals usually hang out with their own species. But zookeepers noticed an unusual friendship between a three-year-old giraffe and an ostrich, who seem to really adore one another. Photo by Matt Marriott / Associated Press

Owen and Mzee is the true story of an unlikely animal duo who found comfort and love in each other’s presence after the 2004 tsunami. Owen, an orphaned baby hippo who got separated from his pod, was rescued and taken to an animal sanctuary in Kenya, where he meets Mzee, a 130-year-old giant tortoise. The book, Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship shows photos of the pair eating, swimming, snuggling, and playing together. You can also see a delightful photo montage of Owen and Mzee here.

The Kitten and the Crow: a young stray kitten about four months old is videotaped for many months with its best friend and protector, a big black crow. The two saunter along side by side, they wrestle together in the grass, the crow feeds the kitten a worm (ewww), and takes care of it to make sure it survives.

Why do these unlikely animal friendships occur? I think this quote from the “kitten and the crow” video sums it up nicely: “If you are able to gain trust in someone or something, or each other, then anything is possible.” For some unknown reason, the crow had a motherly instinct. The young kitten was still a baby, and it trusted the crow, who was the only mother figure in its life. A bond developed between the two, and the rest is history. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if it could be that simple for the rest of us?

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