Calico Café Caters to Cat Cuddlers Craving Kitten Companionship

Posted March 25th, 2008 by Steve Levenstein

Calico's unobtrusive entrance, off a Tokyo side-street
Living in Tokyo, the world's largest metropolitan area, isn't easy - even more so if you have a pet. Landlords are increasingly restricting pet ownership by tenants in the city's high-demand rental apartments. Even if you can find one that does allow pets, the shockingly small size of Japanese apartments makes pet ownership prohibitive.

"My name is Fluffy and I'll be serving you today"
The solution? Rent a cat at one of the city's popular new cat cafés! For just 800 yen an hour (about $8), you can get your fix of feline fellowship from - in the case of Calico - one of 19 "staff" kitties. Located in the Kichijoji district of western Tokyo, Calico has been a roaring, er, meowing success to the point where reservations are recommended on weekends and holidays.

Once inside, Calico's customers can enjoy drinks, sip on tea and lounge about, catlike, on comfy chairs and cushions. The latter, embroidered with cute cats, are also available for sale so that café clients can take a little of the Calico experience home with them. Calico is a business first and foremost so a variety of other goodies are also on sale including sweets, cat stickers, even jewelry.

Calico's owner, Takafumi Fukui, says that because "In Tokyo, many people are not allowed to have cats [at home] even if they want to do so," having a place like Calico gives pet-lovers a place to unwind in the company of cats.

Not bad for 800 yen "purr" hour...
Calico's customers agree: "This is just like having my own cat as a pet at home. They have a soothing effect on me," according to one 22-year-old female college student at her first visit to Calico. Seems it won't be her last! (via Daily Yomiuri Online, images c/o Kichimani)

Steve Levenstein
J A P A N O R A M A
InventorSpot.com

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Comments

Funny, this sounds familiar...

Submitted on March 25th, 2008 by Anonymous

Quite fascinating. I definitely believe that there's a niche market out there for people craving more pet-interaction in their busy on-the-go lives. I floated the idea of a pet-focused hotel chain a while back on my idea-blog, if anyone is interested in an exploration of a similar concept.

-- Ideambulate

Funny, this sounds familiar...

Submitted on March 25th, 2008 by Anonymous

-- Ideambulate

Flexpetz

Submitted on March 25th, 2008 by Lady Bee

Flexpetz has started a rent-a-dog membership, but you get to take the dog home for a day or week or as long as you are willing to pay.

Lady Bee
Pet Blogger
InventorSpot.com

Too Dangerous For The Cats?

Submitted on March 25th, 2008 by Anonymous

I'd be afraid that the cats would be endangered by the psychos out there. They'd be willing to spend the $8 for their idea of "fun on a cat". If the cats' safety can be assured, there's nothing wrong with it.

Dangerous? Nahh...

Submitted on March 25th, 2008 by Steve Levenstein

Don't forget, this is Japan - and while they have their share of anti-social and criminal behaviors, in general their society is well-ordered and functional. I'm sure the cats and customers are fully supervised - and the cats are likely not de-clawed!

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