Mountain Views News          Saturday, April 13, 2013

10

JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS

 Mountain Views News Saturday, April 13, 2013 


CAT CAFÉS PROVIDE 
FUR THERAPY FOR 
FELINE FANCIERS

The concept of cafés specifically focused on catering 
to cat lovers has recently caught on like crazy in a 
couple of countries. The idea of charging patrons by 
the hour to cuddle a furry feline over a cup of tea 
was reportedly hatched in Taipei, Taiwan in 1998 and by 2005 the idea had become so popular 
among Japanese tourists, it spread to Tokyo and blossomed overnight. Today there are at least 100 
cat cafés in the city of Tokyo, according to the last count this past January. In 2012, the kitty café 
concept migrated west to become the talk of the town in east London where entrepreneur Lauren 
Pears hopes to open “Lady Dinah’s Pet Emporium”. Assuming she is able to raise sufficient funds, 
Pears’ new pet project will become London‘s first kitty-catered coffee, tea and crumpet haunt. (Visit 
ladydinahs.com for details and updates)

I must admit, I just heard for the first time last week that cat cafés even exist, and I was absolutely 
delighted with the idea of having a place for pet-less cat lovers to go and satisfy their desire for feline 
fur therapy. Apparently there are lots of serious cat fans in Taiwan, Japan and England who work 
long hours and live in small dwellings where pets are prohibited, leading to the demand for places 
where cat coveters can pet furry felines and enjoy a cup of tea and a bite to eat at the same time.

Logic follows that sharing the company of a cat at a local “beastro” would be a worthwhile way to 
un-wind after a long day. I mean, it has got to be a better source of relaxation than sitting alone and 
surfing the net in a public place. OK, so today’s technology offers access to a global network, but 
what it can’t offer is the heart-warming unconditional love and undivided attention that a kitty-cat 
can. While some may prefer spending their leisure time hanging out with a cold, wireless, soul-less 
machine, it seems there are plenty of people in Taiwan, Japan and England who would rather pay 
by the hour to coddle and play with a very much alive furry friend at a cat café. Enough people, in 
fact, to cause the cat café concept to catapult into an up-and-coming booming business.

To me, the alternative of petting a cuddly cat versus plucking a keyboard in a café makes total 
sense. The benefits of spending time with a friendly feline that readily reciprocates affection are 
manifold. Research studies have proven that humans who spend time with domestic pets tend to 
lead a longer, happier and healthier life. It has even been observed by numerous physicians, that 
patients can experience more expedient recovery from a number of diseases by spending quality 
time with a domestic pet on a regular basis. Some may argue the urban legend that cats carry 
diseases, and therefore couldn’t possibly be healthy to have in a café setting. However, medical 
sociologist and award-winning medical writer Joan Leibmann, PhD begs to differ in her 12/17/10 
Huffington Post blog where she wrote that according to Healthy Pets, Healthy People, a division of 
the Center for Disease Control, the health benefits of having a relationship with a cat far outweigh 
the risks for most people.

Another way kitties can be helpful to humans has to do with their inherent cuteness (dubbed 
“Kawaii” in Japanese). According to recent studies by the journal, PLoS, looking at adorable kitty 
photos for moments at a time between projects at work gives our minds a little break and allows 
us to become more productive when it’s time to return to the real work. Hiroshi Nittono and his 
colleagues at Hiroshima University performed studies involving motor tasks and global-local letter 
tasks (identifying a series of random numbers and associating letters with shapes). Each test proved 
that viewing images of kittens (and puppies) prior to performing a given task led to an improved 
performance. (Source: KAWAII, The Power of Cute by Allison Espiritu Jan. 9, 2013)

For me, it goes without saying that a warm-blooded, cute kitty cat is much better company than a 
computer could ever be. I mean, how many laptops do you know of (with or without the net) that 
could come sit on your lap and comfort you when you are feeling low and need a little lift? In this 
age of rapid technological advances, we as a society have become more and more isolated from 
physical interaction with other beings, both human and otherwise, and I think that’s sad. As an avid 
animal lover, I would be lost without the love and affection of my pets and I know without a doubt 
that I benefit greatly from those relationships. I am fortunate enough to have my own pets, but I 
still look forward to the cat café concept making it’s way to the USA for those who aren‘t so lucky.

PET OF THE WEEK

BEAR: ANIMAL ID #A4559556

Meet a gregarious and affable life-
loving dog, Bear (A4559556). 
Bear’s name fits him - this 
living teddy bear is a ten year 
old brown neutered male Shih 
Tzu who was unceremoniously 
dumped at the Baldwin Park 
Shelter on April 1st because his 
former owners claimed he was 
“too old”. Weighing fourteen 
pounds, Bear is a patient, calm 
lapdog who is well mannered 
and housebroken. He gets 
along well with other dogs and 
his former owners said he likes 
children. He is in good shape 
physically - he doesn’t look 
or act ten and his coat is soft 
and well cared for. Bear is the 
perfect indoor pet for anyone 
in any living situation at all, 
and will fit seamlessly into any 
household. To watch a video of 
Bear please visit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mx2Xxw38Jzo

To meet Bear in person, please see him at the Baldwin Park Shelter, located at 4275 N. Elton, 
Baldwin Park, CA 91706 (Phone: 626-430-2378 or 626-962-3577). He is currently available now. 
For any inquiries about Bear, please reference his animal ID number: A4559556. The shelter is 
open seven days a week, 12 pm-7 pm Monday-Thursday and 10am-5pm Friday-Sunday. This is 
a high-intake shelter with a great need for adoptions. For more information about Bear or the 
adoption process, contact United Hope for Animals Volunteer Adoption Coordinator Samantha at 
Samantha@hope4animals.org. To learn more about United Hope for Animals’ partnership with the 
Baldwin Park Shelter through its Shelter Support Program, as well as the many dogs of all breeds, 
ages, and sizes available for adoption in local shelters, visit http://www.unitedhope4animals.org/
about-us/shelter-support-program/.

Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc