Cat cafes should be 'monitored not shut down'

The owner of a "cat lounge" in Norfolk says she believes the RSPCA should work with cat cafes rather than calling for them to be "phased out".

The RSPCA and Cats Protection is calling for no further licences to be issued to cat cafes - premises where small groups of cats live and interact with customers.

The charities said they did not believe the cafes provided cats with "a good quality of life".

But Sarah Price, of The Cat House in Norwich, says the RSPCA should inspect cat cafes and draw up a code of practice.

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request by the RSPCA to all councils showed there were 32 licensed cat cafes in England with 14 of those granted with licences in the last financial year.

The charity believes there are more premises which are unregulated as it is not mandatory to license cat cafes.

Alice Potter, from the RSPCA, said: "We do understand the appeal of cat cafes, however, while having a coffee and hanging out with cats may be a happy combination for people, we are concerned that for the cats living there 24/7 it's a different story.

"We fundamentally don't think cats are built to live in a cafe environment... it is almost impossible to meet their welfare needs in a restrictive environment."

She added that, while cat cafes are not a new business idea, the rise in the number of licences granted showed they were a growing trend.

Some of the businesses are used for cat rehoming but the charity believes cats are better suited to foster homes and rescue centres.

But Ms Price, who has run The Cat House on Dereham Road for almost two years, said she had to complete a Level 3 feline care course before she was issued with her licence.

"The main difference between us and a lot of cafes is we are not a cafe. We don't ever call ourselves that. We are a cat lounge and we set ourselves up with cats purely in mind to start with and then we added the coffee bar," she said.

"We see that cats are relaxed and happy all the time, and if not we take instant action.

"I am truly for the cat before the people. It has to be that way."

Customers at The Cat House are given house rules for being around the animals and cats fully used to being outdoors will not be homed at the site.

Ms Price said the RSPCA should be working with cat cafe owners to draw up a code of practice rather than trying to shut them down.

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