If you’ve ever been to a cat cafe, you know they’re adorable eating areas that also give you the chance to play with, feed, and pet cats who live there until they’re adopted. Cat cafes are a popular trend, but you might be wondering where the cats sleep when the lights go out, and the restaurant puts up its “Closed” sign.
Most cat cafes keep the cats in the cafe overnight, where they sleep in the same areas they play in during the day; some may curl up at a windowsill, sleep in a hammock, or retire to a hidden area of the cafe made explicitly for privacy.
Although it might seem that the cats will go home after their hard day of work at the cafe, that’s not the case. The cafe is their home (for now), and most cat cafes work hard to keep it comfy for their cats until someone adopts them.
How Does a Cat Cafe Work?
So, what even is a cat cafe? What’s the purpose? Cat cafes are restaurants, cafes, and bistros that function as a part-time shelter for homeless cats and a cafe that serves drinks. Usually, these cafes serve food and beverages such as:
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Specialty coffees
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Themed food and drinks
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Baked goods
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Cat treats to bring to the cats after you eat
Cat cafes can be found all over the world, in places such as:
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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Singapore, Philippines
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Munich, Germany
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San Francisco, USA
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Auckland, New Zealand
There are many more cafes available worldwide, working effortlessly to bring homes to cats in their communities. So, how do they work?
Do the Cats Roam Around While You Eat?
Many people think that once you enter a cat cafe, you’ll be bombarded by cats the moment you enter through the door. This isn’t the case. In most countries and states, food laws require establishments to keep animals away from the kitchen, eating areas, and bathrooms.
For this reason, most cat cafes have separate cat rooms that you can enter. You will pay a price per block of time you want to spend with the cats for most cafes. You can pay for 15 minutes, all the way up to a full day with the cats.
How Are the Cat Areas Laid Out?
Any cat areas will be cleaned and monitored by the staff of the cafe. The cats that stay there are often cleared for any medical issues, vaccines, and behavior before entering the main population.
In most cat cafes, you’ll see the following:
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Cat toys– This often includes balls, handheld toys for guests to use, small fabric mice, and enrichment toys.
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Cat beds- These beds offer soft areas for cats to sleep and rest when they’re tired of playing.
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Out-of-reach areas– Cats need privacy, too, so most cat cafes will have high-up shelves or nooks and crannies where cats can run off if a guest isn’t listening to their boundaries. New, shyer cats will also take advantage of these.
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Information about the cats– Since the cats are usually available for adoption, most cat cafes will provide photos and blurbs about each cat.
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Seating for humans– The guests who visit can sit down and play with cats. Most cat cafes offer sanitary tables, benches, or chairs for you to utilize.
Every cat cafe has a different layout. Some may require you to take your shoes off before going into the cat areas. Some may require that you wash your hands and do not pick up the cats.
How Do the Cats at Cat Cafes Sleep?
When the hustle and bustle of the regular day’s events cool down, cafe staff will lock the doors to the public and help get the cats ready for the night. The routine might look a little like this:
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First, the staff will make sure all cats are present in the cat area.
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Second, the team will feed the cats if they haven’t already eaten and provide them with enough water to last the night.
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Lastly, the staff will do a final clean-up of the cafe and any other closing duties. If any cats are sick or injured, they will go to a veterinarian, or one will come to them.
The staff does not stay with the cats overnight but instead locks the doors and keeps dim lighting for the awake cats. Cats are nocturnal animals, so they enjoy running around and playing even while we humans are sleeping.
Special Sleeping Arrangements
As mentioned before, most cat cafes simply have extra comfortable and private areas for all of the cats to go. Since cats like to be independent, being touched and petted all day can be stressful for them.
Cats will retreat to high-up areas, hidden cubbies, and underneath stairs to get away from other cats and destress. Some cat cafes even have a separate back room for the cats to go when they get overstimulated. This area is private, and guests can never enter.
What to Do if You See a Sleeping Cat at a Cat Cafe?
If you see a sleeping cat at a cat cafe, leave it in peace. Cats do not like to be woken up, and especially not by strangers. You can play with a different cat while the other one sleeps.
Can I Adopt a Cat at a Cat Cafe?
You can adopt cats at most cat cafes. Ask the staff of the cafe what their policies are. Most will indicate you towards an application. In general, most shelters require that:
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You have a home that accepts pets
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You do not have too many other pets
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If you do have pets, they are good with other cats
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You are over 18 years old or have a guardian to adopt the cat
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You won’t be moving any time soon
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You have a stable income
Some places will ask that you prove the above criteria before adopting your cat. Some cat cafes are simply a refuge for cats and do not allow adoptions.
Conclusion
If you were unsure how cats slept in cat cafes before, you should know now. Most cafes have separate areas for their cats, and they will provide nooks, beds, and high-up areas for your cat to sleep in when they’re ready. If you want to find a cat cafe in your area, there are over 50 around the world.
