Citizen Bytes

With all due respect, dogs do not love "stupidly and blindly". Try training a cat to be a guide animal for a blind person, stopping at traffic lights, patiently guiding the blind person onto buses and up escalators, into buildings, etc. (Good luck with that.) Try getting a cat to bring you a toy you've just tossed her (the response - a blank stare.) Cats are very selfish creatures, primarily concerned with having their own needs met (not unlike some men I've dated). Dogs, on the other hand, have emotional intelligence and sensitivity, which enable them to interact on a higher level with human beings. Cats are not capable of communicating beyond variations of "I want". Dogs are much more interesting. Dogs actually return love; cats simply absorb it.

My cat can play fetch along with the various many other talents he has like flushing a toilet.

Your speaking your opinion however, a true animal lover would love the animal for what they are not what they can't do or if they don't do what 'you' command them to do.

Long live the CAT!! Since they have been around for over 6000 years.

I have three cats and two dogs who I and my family love dearly. There is no hiearchy of affection (although the old female calico seems to rule the roost). We take them for what each offers. Are they different? Of course. Through evolution, the cat has evolved to be a solitary hunter (retractable claws) and dogs are pack animals. Hence, the dog needs the approval of the group to survive.

That doesn't mean the domestic cat doesn't appreciate affection and can't give it. It just means that the displays are more subtle and less overt. Within our household, they all contribute to an overall harmony (or disharmony when they play or quarrel). It's yin and yang...or AM and FM.

We have learned to appreciate what they all bring to us. I have no illusions. Emotions like selfishness or love are human. Animals seek approval and display trust. To favour one over the other is like favouring a season or night over day (you can't have one without the other). No cat has ever tried to pull me off of my bicycle but I love the thrill that my dogs get when I walk them in the evening. My Great Pyrenees or Retriever are not welcome on my lap but any of my cats will fit quite nicely and their purr is soothing to my soul. Love? Don't kid yourself but we give and take what we can and we're all happier for it.

Ah the everlasting cat vs. dog discussion. I find that dogs always creep up in cat=oriented discussions, but not so much other way around...

They are such different animals! Simply because they're the two most common household pets does not imply that they are comparable in terms of behaviour and intelligence.

Having said that, long live the DOG!! Since they have been around for at least 12,000 years!

As the owner of 3 cats (although sometimes I have to ask myself who owns who...) I almost want to go ahead and open my own business in the basement.

Joke aside, the Humane Society should consider this idea and open such cafes in different locations - the fees resulting from such an enterprise could go towards improving the living conditions for the animals, not to mention the comfort this would provide to both the animals and the visitors/clients.

It would also be a good opportunity for children as well as parents to get information on pet-owning - what a pet means and how it changes your life.

And yeah, it's kind of stupid to compare cats and dogs...

For a similar experience, I got to my local pet food store where there are rescued cats you can adopt. They are always glad to have someone pet them.

I hope in the future there are no wars and we can all just get together and pet cats. And smooch them.

You know, whilst I appreciate the quaintness attributed to Japanese culture in this story, there are many "cat cafes" in BC too. They're called the SPCA cat room where one can go in and pet and play with cats for hours, all for free. The best thing about these "cafes" is that, if one is allowed, the cat can come home with you. If you're not allowed a cat where you live, you've volunteered your time to socializing an animal that someone else will love.

Wonderful story though.

Cats do not love stupidly and blindly like dogs????????

I didn't know it was possible to love stupidly. Love and stupidity do not mix. Editorial journalism and stupidity, apparently, mix quite well though.

That is a great story! Thanks for sharing.

Lisa, from Ottawa -- you shouldn't be so sensitive. This was a story about cats not an attack on dogs.

Cheers!

I AGREE WITH LISA’S COMMENTS. WE HAVE BOTH A DOG AND A CAT IN MY FAMILLY. THE EMOTIONAL INTELLEGENCE AND THE SENSITIVITY OF OUR DOG IS INCREDIBLE. ON THE OTHER HAND WE HAVE A LOVELY CAT,WHICH IS SELFISH. I SEE THAT PERSONALLITY OF A CAT AND THE PERSONALITY OF A DOG ON PEOPLE!! TRY TO OBSERVE PEOPLE HOW THEY INTERACT..IT WILL TELL YOU A LOT ABOUT THEM! 
MERI

This is the greatest thing in history.

Stay on groovin' (Kitty) safari,
Tor

To Meri Hill,
Greetings Meri Hill!
In the future, would you please not use ALL CAPS when you submit comments on the internet?
The reason is that on the internet, communication in ALL CAPS is reserved to convey ANGER, OUTRAGE, and all manner of negative emotions. In short, it is the equivalent of yelling at the top of your lungs at everyone else.
Thanks and have a wonderful day!
Martin

My cat CAN be an adorable loving cat but, she can be very agressive. Every time she looks at me she says 'I'll sit on your lap but I'll tear up your jeans.' My dog is an adorable loving dog and is the best. She can be annoying but somehow I enjoy every moment of it. If my cat was in that 'Cat Cafe' than she would be the worst of all, she would take the tuna in a flinch, so BEWARE!

I think this is a fantastic idea. By the photos the cats are well cared for, they get lots of attention which being a cat owner myself I know they need as much as humans do.

Finally if some one is thinking about adopting a cat it gives a potential "parent" a chance to test the waters if you will to see if a cat is right for them. I wish them every success and hope it catches on in other countries

Emotions like selfishness and love are not unique to humans. Don't kid yourself - human "love" is no different than the myriad other social and mating behaviours that exist amongst sentient creatures.

It's a survival mechanism, a protective mechanism, a procreative mechanism. People have the unique ability to dress up their behaviour in poetry and romance and high ideals, so they're less honest and more hypocritical about their motivations, that's all.

What's the difference between a smile and a dog wagging its tail? Same motivation, just expressed differently.

Lisa, I have grown up with cats. My current kitty is one I rescued right after she was born (her mother was hit by a car while out for food and she was the only survivor from her litter); I weaned and raised her myself and she is one of the most loving animals I've ever had.

My husband's Japanese bobtail is on par with any dog you might care to name; they both answer commands and stay close by when one of us is ill. Really, cats can be selfish, but if they consider you part of their social group, they're anything but.

LISA: you sound as uninformed and naive about cats as you think some people are about dogs. Not every cat is the same, generalizing is dangerous. Both cats that I've had over the course of my life were able to do everything you said they can't. Maybe you've never had one?

I don't like cats at all!
I have a fear of cats actually...
Thank God my kids don't like cats either

I don't visit people who have cat in their house!

It's too bad the comment deteriorated into diatribes about the noble qualities of one and the negative qualities about the other. Painting species in such broad strokes ignores the fact that personality is an individual thing. I've met some cats with incredible intelligence, friendliness and love, the same with dogs. Then again, I've met some downright ornery creatures from both species - just like humans.

My thanks to Sarah Marchildon for sharing her discovery with her fellow Canadians. Japan is an unusual country, and they do seem to love and revere their animals. I'm glad these kitties get so spoiled. Love the description of the cafe as a 'cat brothel'. There's definitely some serious lovin' going on there.

Keep on writing Sarah.

Sarah Marchildon is an excellent blogger. I have been reading her blog since my roommate (her sister) introduced it to me.

I have been in South Korea for the past 6 months and I have not seen any "cat cafes." I would have thought that one may find one here but we are not as lucky as the Japanese!

My cat is sitting on my lap as I type, unwilling to let me give my undivided attention to anything not him. That said, I'm torn about the concept of the cat cafe - on the one hand, a great place for people who cannot otherwise keep a cat to go and get their kitty-groove on; on the other hand, it seems somewhat exploitative, and some cats can be kind of stressed by living with so many other cats.

Still, it's an interesting article. Cats are great therapy, and it's good to access to them.

I would like to know how the cafes obtain the cats and what they do with them when they are old and/or perhaps not well. What happens to a cat that is not favored by people? I suspect that not all is not bliss behind the scenes.

"You know, whilst I appreciate the quaintness attributed to Japanese culture in this story, there are many "cat cafes" in BC too. They're called the SPCA cat room where one can go in and pet and play with cats for hours, all for free. The best thing about these "cafes" is that, if one is allowed, the cat can come home with you. If you're not allowed a cat where you live, you've volunteered your time to socializing an animal that someone else will love."

dude, so not the same. i think people prefer not to have the guilt bit u know... play with kitty free!! but remember, she's on death watch!!

thats not free!!

lisa, you're wrong.

Dogs are not more intelligent or anything than cats.
The difference is, dogs have been bread into different races for certain tasks and to follow his master as obedient as possible for thousands of years.
A cat is still a autonomous animal that goes hunting on his own.
That's why you can train a dog so well, and a cat does what it wants.

I agree with Lynda, there are plenty of cat cafes all over, called animal shelters, and these don't actually require you to pay money to play with the cats, just a little of your time. Though it is great to give any cats the love and attention they deserve, time spent at a shelter where the cats might not have long to live would give you the same satisfaction, or maybe more, and they won't charge you to do something that should be free.

When are bars coming like this?

Nothing is for free. If shelters also created a comfortable living environment to relax in like cat cafes, then they too should be able to run a business and at the same time promote animal adoption. The fees would help maintain the facility as well as care for the animals.

Not all cats would qualify to be in a "cat-cafe" environment. Like any job, there are criteria -- the means to an end.
Friendly feline, Happy human.

Thank you for sharing this wonderful story!

I love animals, and I have visited the Humane Society regularly for years. I talk to the animals, pet them, and sometimes walk the dogs. The shelters generally love any help they can get!

I also have two cats and a dog. I adore all of them, and don't prefer cat over dog. They each have their own personalities, and I love them.

I don't think that the author of this story was really trying to start a debate about this...she was just stating her thoughts.

I am happy to read a positive, light-hearted article for a change. Thank you, Sarah!

I love my little kitty and this is the best idea ever!

personally our family doesn't realy dislike cats but do not want to own one .Instead we now have our fifth Pomeranian ( Rosey )who is very cat-like for she is so independent and yet so domineering .She calls my husband when meals are ready becuase she wants to eat from the table .Sh eis litter trained but is encouraged to go outside for the more serious stuff .Yet quite often she just uses this as an excuse to get out at will.We are run by this little eight pound bunch of fur and we love it .She's like a little general barking orders .

@Lisa - So, what you are really saying is cats are really dumb (because they don't play fetch with you), selfish animals (because you can't control what they do with orders) that don't deserve any human attention. That's about sums it up doesn't it?

"not unlike some men I've dated"
How terrible. Some men that won't wag its tail when you order him around and fetch you toys you say?

@Odette - I bet you have lots of friends that can't wait to befriend you and not invite you to their house.

@MERI HILL - With your logic, I guess I know exactly what kind of people Lisa from Ottawa and Odette from Ottawa are.

ignorant, controlling, judgmental and bitter