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Cat cuddles for a cause: New rescue cat cafe plans to open soon in Tokyo

Meg Murphy May 29, 2015
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Last month, we introduced you to Save Cat Cafe, one of Osaka’s first rescue cat cafes, which is run similarly to another cafe which opened recently in New York City.

Cat cafes are all over Japan, and allow petless cat lovers to spend some quality time with the furry felines they so adore. We’re particularly happy to see this recent boom of rescue cat cafes take off, as cafe chain Neco Republic, which already has locations in Osaka and Gifu Prefectures, is ready to open up a third branch, this time in Tokyo.

Cat cafes can be found all over Japan. At most, the cats are generally purebreds purchased from a pet shop or breeder and belong to the cafe, living there long-term. But at rescue cafes, the cats are – as you can probably guess – rescued shelter cats. They stay at the cafe, are well fed and cared for, and get plenty of playtime and love from the patrons who stop by. But best of all, the cats are all adoptable, which gives them a chance not just at getting afternoon cuddles, but at finding a forever home, in turn making room for more cats to be taken in by the cafe.

Neco Republic, in particular, works with volunteers to help raise money and spread awareness of the project. Japan has a rather dire stray cat problem, and unfortunately most cats that end up in shelters are put down. But Neco Republic’s aim is to bring Japan’s euthanasia rate down to zero by February 22, 2022, not only through the cafes themselves, but also by holding various events to raise awareness of the project and trying to change the way people think of adopting shelter cats.

Their branch in Gifu, which opened in February last year, and their Shinsaibashi branch in Osaka which opened last October, have already placed around 140 cats in new homes. Their next move to open a new store in the nation’s capital will undoubtedly save the lives of countless other abandoned felines. Their planned location is conveniently located within walking distance of a number of major stations, from Ochanomizu, Akihabara, and Yushima.

▼ Gifu location

▼ Osaka Shinsaibashi location

Even if you aren’t in Japan to support the cafes through patronage, they are still raising funds to help with opening their new Tokyo branch, which you can donate towards on their kibidango fundraising page (Japanese only though, sorry!), and receive awesome perks like a set of cute cat mugs, your name engraved on one of the cat perches in the cafe itself, or even a lifetime member’s pass to Neco Republic!

Hopefully cafes like Neco Republic and Save Cat Cafe become more widespread, that way people who want to spend some quality cat time at a cafe, but are worried about the welfare of the cats, or want to help make a difference for all the homeless cats out there, can feel good knowing that they are supporting a very good cause.

Planned location
113-0034 Tokyo Bunkyou-ku Yushima 3-1-9, CRANE Bld. 4F

Source and images: kibidango