A Visit to a Cat Cafe in Thailand

For those of you that don’t already know, many Asian countries seem to have an obsession with anything that is cute and cuddly. (I’m looking at you “HelloKitty”) That’s why it shouldn’t come as a big shock when cities in Asia combine two of their favorite things: cafes and cats.

In northern Asia (especailly Japan, Korea, Taiwan etc), Cat Cafes are already quite common, but they are starting to become more and more common in Southeast Asia as well. That’s why I wasn’t surprised when we stumbled upon a cozy cat cafe in the Northern Thai city of Chiang Rai.

But what is a Cat Cafe you may ask? Well, it’s basically exactly what it sounds like. A cafe where cats rule the roost.

Step 1: Upon entering, remove your shoes (this isn’t particular to cat cafes, this is common in many cafes in Asia)

Step 2: Purchase a drink and sanitize your hands (you don’t want to spread your disgusting human germs to the uber hygienic cats.

Step 3: Step into the main area and do everything in your power to win the attention and affections of the cats.

You walk in and there are cats everywhere. There are cats prancing around the room, there are cats curled up in quiet corners.

There are cats sleeping under tables or perched on the windowsill watching the world outside.

There are cats standing on your table and relishing the fact that they are the center of attention.

There are cats sleeping in the rafters or keeping a watchful eye from above. They’re everywhere.

There are cats of all personalities: the social friendly ones, the stuck up ones that make you work really hard for their attention, the antisocial ones, the bored ones, the curious ones, the sleepy ones, the greedy ones, the aggressive ones, the sad moody ones, the happy and content ones, the malicious ones, the little sweethearts…the variety is endless.

Fortunately, the place is spotlessly clean and has no odor (I wonder if it’d be the same in a “Dog Cafe.” For the price of your drink, you can play with or observe the cats to your heart’s content. Its extremely entertaining watching people vie for the cats’ attention.

this girl bribed the cat with her milkshake

The cats are supremely aware that everyone wants their attention which is why they take so much enjoyment in giving you the cold shoulder or making their rounds and showing you that you’re not the only one who knows how to scratch them behind their ears just the way they like.

Assuredly, some people have the magic touch. There are showoffs in every group–cat whisperers if you will. I don’t know how they do it, but they just sit there and the cats just come to them.

I still think they had some catnip stashed in their pocket or something. There was one guy sitting in the corner that was hogging all the cats. He had two in his lap, one curled at his feet, one by his side reading over his shoulder and one on his table and one under it. see what I mean? Show off. And here I am struggling to get any one of the cats to pay me a second look as they saunter by. I wasn’t even picky! I would have taken one of the ugly ones–but no, even they were being extra choosy.

I think the secret is wanting it less. The cats can sense how badly you want them to like you and take great pleasure in being remarkably disobliging. The people that just sit quietly and and mind their own business seemed to do the best (why does this remind me so much of dating?)

Regardless of whether the cats love you or hate you, you are sure to have a good time as long as you remember one thing: This is their world, and we’re just living in it.

I was distinctly aware of that when I saw this sign restricting some of the seating area:

Or when I ordered a water and a cat jumped onto my table and started drinking it:

For those of us that aren’t as practiced in the secret of cat whispering, there is a way to cheat the system. If you invest in the kitty treats they sell behind the counter, you will find that you are suddenly quite popular with the feline population.

All of the sudden they pay attention to you. Typical. Cats may normally be composed and act like proper gentlemen and ladies, but when you break out the kitty treats all bets are off. As you can see from this video, these cats need to be taught a thing or two about sharing and waiting their turn:

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When visiting Asia, make sure to pay a visit to a Cat Cafe. You will get such a heavy dose of moodiness and attitude you’ll swear you’re back in high school!

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