Advice for Other Cat Carers 191
(Plourde, 2014), but unfortunately, there appears to have been less interest in the
welfare of the cats involved. Stress is a very real health and welfare issue for cats (see
Chapter 6) and feline behaviourists and welfare experts believe that cat cafés can be
highly stressful environments (Bradshaw, 2013).
Cats in cat cafés are expected to cope daily with the attentions of numerous
unknown people (Fig. 12.3). This can be a significant stressor because:
● Cats need to have substantial periods of time when they are left alone so that they
can sleep and engage in solitary natural behaviour. Being frequently disturbed can
be highly stressful for them.
● Although most well-socialized cats do enjoy interactions with people such as play
and being stroked, many cats prefer these sessions to be fairly brief and infrequent
and to be able to initiate interactions with people themselves. Feeling ‘in control’
is very important to cats.
● Unpredictability is another major feline stressor. The behaviour of owners and
people who are well known to the cat can be fairly predictable, but not so the
behaviour of strangers.
But it is not just people with which cats in cat cafés need to be able to cope. Most cafés
or similar establishments have several cats housed together in what is often a relatively
small space. Being descended from a species that lives a primarily solitary life, the
ability to be social with members of the same species can be both limited and variable
between individuals. And even close-bonded relationships can easily break down,
especially when the cats are faced with other stressors. In confined areas, signs that
cats are not getting along can be difficult to spot because the cats are more likely to
inhibit antagonistic behaviours to avoid the risk of physical conflict (see Appendix 16).
But even if a stable group of cats is established, any disturbance to the group dynamic,
for example the loss of a member or the introduction of a new member, illness, even
short periods of separation such as vet visits, etc., can severely damage that stability.
Fig. 12.3. In cat cafés, and similar establishments, care should be taken that the cats are
not subjected to frequent or constant unwanted attention from strangers.