Japanese cat lovers snarl at new law
Times are looking tough for Tokyo's cat cafes, where feline
aficionados can drop in for tea and some time with a cat.
At most such establishments, it's the post-work rush that brings in
the most cash, with tired and harried professionals dropping by on their
way homes to pet and play with the animals as a way of relieving stress.
But now the purrs of delight may be getting quieter.
A revision to Japan's Animal Protection Law, due to come into force
on June 1, will slap a curfew on the public display of cats and dogs,
forcing cat cafes to shut up shop at 8 p.m.
"There's this new revision which says we should be open from eight in
the morning until eight at night. After 8 p.m. we have to put the cats
in the back, away from the customers, and close," said Hiromi Kawase,
the owner of one Tokyo cat cafe.
"Everybody knows cats are really happy in the evening, with their
big, cute eyes. So I just can't understand why the people at the top are
ignoring this. It's really strange."
Cat cafes have long been popular, catering to the many cat lovers who
can't keep the animals at home because of strict housing regulations
that forbid pets in many apartments.
Visitors to Kawase's cafe pay about 1,000 yen ($12) an hour to play
with any of her 24 cats, who dart around the room chasing toys or sleep
in baskets set on tables. Drinks are priced from around 300 yen each.
The government says the real targets of the tighter animal protection
law are late-night pet shops, which often sell dogs and cats around the
clock. The animals are kept in small cages under bright lights that are
never switched off.
Kawase's establishment is far from a 24-hour operation. Her doors
close at 10 p.m., but she says many of her customers only arrive around
eight, after work, and stay through to the close.
"If I can't see the cats, well, I won't come. Of course I come here
because they have cats," said Tatsuo Karuishi, 41. Karuishi visits the
cafe at least twice a week, usually checking in at around eight, as does
fellow feline fancier Ayumi Sekigushi.
"It's a great place, it calms the stresses of working life," said
Sekigushi, 23. "If this law goes through, that enjoyment is going to
disappear. It's a real shame." While Kawase says the lost business hours
will take a toll on profits, it's what that might mean for her cats that
worries her the most.
Buenos Aires Herald
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