Cat cafes should be ‘phased out’ due to animal welfare concerns – RSPCA

The RSPCA and Cats Protection are calling for cat cafes across the UK to be “phased out” over concerns about the animals’ welfare.

It follows a surge in openings of the cafes, which allow customers to interact with resident cats and even adopt them, over the last year.

However, the two charities said the cafes should not be operating because it was “almost impossible” to meet the welfare needs of cats in this environment, where they were likely to be stressed by enforced proximity to other felines and strangers stroking them.

Some cafes left their cats overnight in “incredibly small” pens, which also restricted their natural behaviour, while some were inside shopping centres leaving the animals unlikely to see daylight or breathe fresh air.

There are currently more than 30 cat cafes licensed in England, with 44% of those licences granted in the last financial year, according to a recent freedom of information request to all councils in England and Wales by the charities.

However, they believe that many more cat cafes are operating without oversight or regulation because of unclear legislation.

RSPCA cat welfare expert Alice Potter said: “We adore cats and so we understand the appeal of cat cafes.

“However, whilst cats, cake and coffee might be a happy combination for people, for the cats living 24/7 in these cafes it’s likely to be a very different story.

“We don’t believe these environments can consistently provide cats with a good quality of life and are hugely concerned that many cats will be unhappy as a result.

“Having descended from solitary, territorial, roaming wildcats, they are likely to find the enforced proximity to other felines as well as unfamiliar visitors wishing to stroke them extremely stressful.

“Sharing an enclosed space and resources with a number of unrelated cats can lead to a range of negative feelings and emotions resulting in aggression and behavioural issues, and it isn’t always easy to identify whether a cat’s welfare is compromised as the signs can often be very subtle, easily missed or misinterpreted.

“But we fear this could be widespread in cat cafes, however well-meaning these places may be.”

There is no specific licence for cat cafes.

Those that are inspected by local authorities are licensed under regulations concerned with the keeping or training of animals for exhibition.

However, the rising number of new licences suggests cat cafes – whether regulated or unregulated – are growing in popularity.

The charities are urging local authorities not to grant new exhibition licences or renew existing licences, in order to achieve an eventual entire phase-out of the cafes.

Ms Potter said: “Cats in cat cafes are essentially being used for entertainment – and are often licensed as such – so we are concerned that they are paying the price for this by having a poor quality of life.”

Daniel Warren-Cummings, central behaviour officer for Cats Protection, said: “Cats are simply not built to share space with a high number of other cats and it only happens because humans force the matter.

“Although many cat cafe owners start their enterprise out of a desire to help unwanted cats, they will ultimately commit themselves to having high numbers of cats to meet consumer demand, which makes it difficult to run these businesses in a way that truly protects cat welfare.

“Stress severely impacts a cat’s physical and emotional wellbeing but unfortunately cats are very stoic when they are stressed and hide the signs.

“For example, some cats adopt a strategy of feigning sleep when they are stressed, leading consumers to mistakenly assume they are simply resting.”

Lauren Pears, the owner of Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium in Bethnal Green, east London, which opened in 2014, said: “I believe it is appropriate that the RSPCA and Cats Protection raise concerns, but I don’t agree that cat cafes should be phased out entirely.

“They should be monitored and nationwide welfare standards should be set and upheld.

“Some things I would look for in a reputable cat cafe include age limits, restrictions on capacity and dedicated cat care staff.

“I welcome regulation and scrutiny of the industry.”

Ms Pears added: “Cat cafes seem like fun businesses to run, but should be taken seriously.

“Observing how the industry has grown over the years, I feel that entrepreneurs wishing to open a cat cafe should be required to hold or acquire animal husbandry qualifications in order to open a business like this to ensure they understand the welfare implications of their decisions.”