Ichinensei

HAs anyone ever been to any animal cafe?

http://www.whereintokyo.com/dbinx/animalcafe.html

can someone recommend one or i should just pick from the list in the above URL? Wife wants to go to one whilst we visit Japan in October. Dog or cat mostly.

MSPeconomist

I'm relieved that people don't seem to eat the animals in these places.

ksandness

I went to a very rudimentary cat cafe in Shimo-Kitazawa in 2013. It was basically an upstairs retail space with the choice of tea or coffee, and you sat either on the floor or on couches to play with the cats. Before you could play with the cats, you had to wash and sanitize your hands.

I went late in the afternoon, and I suspect that the cats were burned out on humans by that time, because neither I nor any of the Japanese customers could get much of a reaction from them. Finally I was able to interact with a kitten.

This was obviously a low-budget operation. Others may be better.

Taiwaned

In Kobe, there is an owl cafe, cat cafe and dog cafe, all on one street.

The owl cafe folks walk around in the arcade with an owl on his shoulder, this is to advertise his cafe.

I just don't understand the appeal.

Owls are just creepy looking, cats make me itchy and dogs are kind of smelly.

I rather go to a robot cafe or even a maid cafe (if my wife let's me)

lobsterdog

For cats, I'd recommend Calico in Shinjuku - there are fifty cats with rotating duties, so they always have fresh cats on duty. It's also the most tourist-friendly place I've been. Calico also has a smaller, more low-key branch out in Kichijoji. Miysis in Yokohama is also quite good, if you happen to be down that way, and Nyafe Melange in Ebisu is quite good and recommended. Cat cafes

For dogs, the only place I can recommend is Dog Heart in Yoyogi Hachiman - it's a lot of fun, and the dogs are very friendly. It's mostly poodles, but there are also beagles and a golden retriever.

Wherever you end up going, try to avoid weekends unless it's very early. Weekday mornings are best if you can, when the shop first opens. Weekday evenings can be okay.

lobsterdog

Also, try to go to a cat cafe that sells cat snacks ("neko oyatsu" in Japanese), as Calico does. Even tired, jaded cats perk up when you offer them bits of chicken or tuna.