Category: Animal House
Parisian Cafe Serves Up Kitty Affection Along With Coffee
Cats relaxing near an outdoor dining area.
A new cafe has touched down in Paris that is serving more than coffee.
According to The Guardian, Les Cafe des Chats has a dozen cats on hand to
rub shoulders (or legs) with patrons. It's being referred to as "pet
therapy" for customers that don't have an animal of their own.
Parisian dwellings can lack space, causing tenants to go without the comfort
of a pet. Additionally, the cafe feels the concept provides more than just
animal company.
"Purring produces vibrations which relieve arthritis and rheumatism, which
lower your blood pressure and your heartbeat," Margaux Gandelon, cafe
manager of Les Cafe des Chats, told the source.
The cafe opened in September and has seen a positive response, with lines
around the block requiring 300 people to be turned away the first weekend,
according to the source.
Les Cafe des Chats takes extra steps to ensure the welfare of the animals
that were adopted from rescue centers.
The cafe includes a tea room and restaurant where Habby, Djenko, Lovely,
Oreo, Rosa and other felines roam around and greet patrons. The website
features a reaction page where patrons can post their thoughts of the
intriguing concept. Much of the feedback is positive and one cat lover was
inspired to post a poem by the French artist Charles Baudelaire.
Very cool idea! I like this! Of course, I have my own ideas about people taking their pets everywhere, as is very prevalent in Canada... but this is a neat idea! So long as the cats stay out of the kitchen, more power to this cafe for trying something different!
Kate
Aww kitties. That's cool. Would they ever do that in the US?
Hi Kate,
Of course, if one of the patrons took a fancy to a particular cat, perhaps they'd want it to go into the kitchen rather than keeping it out, alternative toasty filling!
Ah, ed, ed! A man after my thoughts?
I think it a sweet idea though.
you beastie boys, you! for shame!
I love the idea, maybe I should've taken French instead of Spanish
btw, there used to be a place in Wisconsin called Anderson House Hotel (or something close to that)
it was a bed and breakfast and they kept lots of cats for the guests to interact with
This is a really interesting idea. My only concern would be that people would feed the cats. a little here and there would be okay, but generally they should not be consuming huge amounts of people food.
I think I read about this kind of thing being very common in Japan also, but don't quote me. Its a cool idea, and clearly its popular with the public.
I read a book a year or so ago about a couple taking a year to travel through Europe and taking their cat with them. In the United States, you have to call ahead to hotels to find ones that allow pets, but it seems in Europe most hotels accept pets without any questions. They even took their cat into most restaurants with them and never had any trouble.
how cool but the only problem they probably might have is the people not wanting to leave the café because of falling in love with the cats, smiles.
Sorry to rain on everyone's parade, but, if you're blind and you're in there, wouldn't you maybe be a bit concerned one of the cats could be first licking its ass and then start licking the creamer or the butter on the table?
I never even used to let my birds get close to people's food.
It's simple enough to tell if a cat has jumped up on your table. Mine used to try it all the time but got shooed off so often that he never tries anymore.
Ah I see. I always thought cats were sneakier. Birds always chirp or flap or peck so it's easier to tell where they've got off to. Especially in a café I would think it difficult to tell where a cat had gone, but perhaps I am mistaken.
Put bells on the collars. That way kitties can be heard. All three of our kitties have bells, and if they get somewhere they aren't supposed to, we har 'em. I also think that there would be precautions with things like creamer and butter and whatnot (like the little packets?)
Kate
neat idea! animal therapy does work wonders, and that's coming from someone who had pets growing up, but is happy not to, now.
yes, I would guess that they have little packets of butter and stuff.
Even if they don't...well, if you're sitting at a table, you're very likely touching it in some fashion. If a cat jumps on that table, you're going to feel it. I suppose a group of blind people at that café might be fooled into thinking someone else bumped the table, but it's a fairly singular feeling, that thump of paws. If the café is fairly quiet, it's even less of an issue, because you'll hear the thump even if you don't feel it.
Many cats can and will get up on tables looking for things to eat, or just because they're curious, but in my own experience personally I've never had any trouble keeping my cat out of things or not knowing when she decided to jump on the counter or something. Other people's mileage may vary of course.
I'd suspect if you aren't paying attenchen, or being nice, blind or not the wait staff is? Lol
most likely as of all the different things going on around them, smiles.
Love this, so adorable! I've heard that there is one in New York and a few in South Korea. I would love to try one out. Wonder if there are any for dogs? I would be in heaven!
If people can't stand cats in their kitchen, why is it a meet idea to have them in
restaurants? I don't understand that one. I guess it's depending on the cat, but
I had one that left hair all over the place. Imagine, people bringing their cats,
and who knows if they are well taken care of or are even clean... I don't mean
to sound apathetic I am just sharing my thoughts. Oh and well you might come
back to me with something along the lines of, well anyone can go to restaurants
and who knows if they're clean or what not? Yes but people have rules and table
manners, although not everyone follows them. I can only imagine the smell of
food and cat... Sorry if I don't think this is a neat idea... I could be wrong..
I guess my point is if it's difficult to maintain public places sanitary due to
people's lack of whatever, I would think it's twice as hard in a public place that
allows animals while dining...
Portland is supposed to be getting one of these soon.
I don't think it's for people to bring their own cats, so much as it is a place where they have cats people can pet and interact with. And, maybe, adopt.
If I understand things correctly, cats don't really like going out places with strangers, not the same way dogs do.
But anyway, the Portland place is going to have its own supply of cats.
Correct me if i'm wrong, but from what i read from Becky's post, the cats are parts of the cafe, it is not any ramdom cats from the diners or such. And, giving this will be some sort of Pet As Therapy program, and having quite a numbers of cats around the cafe, i would imagine the cafe staffs would have been train on how to deal with the cats etc, and the cats would have qualify from some formal or some pet as therapy training somehow.
Most cats can be free-fed too, so if they have their own supply of food they can go to which is there, I am sure they would prefer that.
The only way I would tolerate a cat at a café would be if cat was on the menu.
Bob
Lol Bob! :D
I think it would be cool if they had that kind of thing in different countries' as I think it sounds so neat but the only problem I could see is people not wanting to leave because of falling in love with the cats, smiles.
What about all them litter boxes?
My daughter had a cat for a while when she was younger and we used to clean that box out at least twice a week or more. And we even used the Pearl cat litter that absorbs urine smell.
I'm sure the owners of the café in the article have the litter box problem worked out. And it sounds from the article that at least part of the café is outdoors, so cats can probably just relieve themselves outdoors.
I'm sure they have that all figured out and i'm sure the cats would have a proper place to be able to relieve themselves but the people running the place would have a way of keeping things so they wouldn't run into any issues with problems with HI gene but a good point you made, smiles.
My solution--putting the cats on the menu--would solve all those problems.
Bob
Bob, when you die I hope you come back as a mouse and end up in the home of someone who has lots of cats and that those cats love to torture mice before they eat them.
Leo, cleaning out a cat's litter box twice a week is akin to only flushing your toilet twice a day, etc.Think about it!
Becky I hope you come back as a piece of cheese!
You'll probably come back as a cat, and eat at the finest French eaterie.
Bob
funny but I'd love to turn into a cat and then I could use my claws on those whom are not so nice to others, smiles.