A few years ago when we first visited Japan, we decided not to visit any animal cafes. As cute as they looked, I worried about how the animals were being treated. We passed cafes where you could enjoy your drink while petting everything from owls to pigs. Japan had them all.
This trend has spread far and wide, at least across Asia and the Pacific. George Town had several, all either focused on cats or on dogs. The kids gave us those really cute, does eyes that they learnt from years of watching Bluey cartoons (when Bluey was something Australians had all to themselves. Now Bluey is travelling the world…sipping hot chocolates…)
Anyhoo, we caved and, for the price of one drink per person, entered the best rated cat cafe. My concerns for the cats dissipated within seconds because I remembered one important point about cats. Cats rule the world. They are just letting us think that we are in charge, but really we aren’t. So, when they are in a cat cafe, they make all the decisions as to whether they are going to let you interact with them, regardless of what you paid to get in. And if you don’t agree with their decision, they will remind you, in various ways, most of which are highly effective, even with unruly toddlers.
But if you know cats, as we do as cat owners (as much as one can know cats…), they seem to sense that. While kids were running around trying to find the cats, many of the cats were naturally coming to our table for a nap. Our table became a cat sanctuary and 6foot 4 Rich the body guard scaring all kids that weren’t his from entering. So, for the price of a drink, we got many cats. The iced chocolate was horrible, but the cats were wonderful.
Verdict: They have cute cats. What more is there to say. Munchkin & The Gang Cat Cafe, 64 Lebuh Campbell, George Town, Malaysia
