Cat Cafes

Many customers seemed like the shy, meek, silent type who were in need of a hug or two. Since these sorts don’t have the courage to go up to a cat and play with it themselves, they would read a book and sip coffee while they patiently hoped for a cat to come closer. It broke my heart.

have you heard about this? cafes in Japan populated by dozens of cats. apparently, most Japanese landlords do not allow pets, so these "cat cafes" began opening up around 5 years ago. they're hugely popular with young adults, who mostly live alone, are stressed out, and could use some pet therapy.

all photos by Tomo Kosuga

for years, i have been saying i wished there was a place where i could go and just play with some animals for 15 minutes or so. the company of animals is a huge stress reliever and way cheaper than therapy. i had no idea the Japanese were so far ahead of us... can someone please open some of these in the US?