Cat cafes across the UK must be ‘phased out’, and the leading charities in animal welfare said.
The RSPCA and CATS protection asked the move to be to a boom in these businesses, enabling customers to communicate and even adopt with cats.
The charities say that the cafe environment makes it “almost impossible” to meet the welfare needs of the cats, as it can be stressed to other animals and strangers through forced proximity.
Charity organizations ask for cat cafes to be “phased out” about animal welfare problems. Photo: Dad
Alice Potter, expert on RSPCA Cat Welfare, said: “While cats, cake and coffee can be a happy combination to people, for the cats living in these cafes 24/7, it will probably be a very different story.
“We do not believe that these environments can consistently provide a good quality of life of cats and are very concerned that many cats will be unhappy as a result.”
Ms Potter added: “Generally, cats are not cozy, and many felines often prefer to live without other cats, or prefer to form social groups with their relationships.”
There are currently more than 30 cat cafes licensed in England – with about 44% of the licenses issued over the past financial year.
Both charities believe that many more cat cafes can work without supervision or regulation due to unclear legislation.
Cats in cat cafes are used for ‘entertainment’, says the RSPCA. Pic: ap
Cat Cafes inspected by local authorities are licensed under rules regarding the holding or training of animals for exhibition.
The RSPCA and Cats protection says you refuse to issue new licenses – and not renew olds – will ensure that these cafes are gradually phased out.
Ms Potter said: “Cats in cat cafes are essentially used for entertainment – and are often licensed as such – so we are concerned that they pay the price for this by having a poor quality of life.”
Daniel Warren-Cummings, central behavioral officer for Charity Cats Protection said that cats often “hide the signs of stress.
He said: “Some cats adopt a strategy to weaken sleep if they are tense, which causes consumers to mistakenly accept that they are merely resting.”
However, others believe that the cafes should not be completely phased out, and that they benefit from tighter monitoring.
Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium in East London. Pic: ap
Lauren Pears, owner of Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium in East London, said: ‘Some things I would look for in a reliable Cat Cafe include age limits, capacity restrictions and dedicated cat staff.
“When I look at how the industry has grown over the years, I feel that entrepreneurs who want to open a Cat Cafe should be to hold or acquire a qualification to open a business like this to ensure that they understand the welfare implications of their decisions.
“I welcome regulation and investigation of the industry.”
