Neko Café

So today I woke up freezing, sniffling; outside it's grey, windy, snowy, icy....So I decided it was the perfect time to use my treat token: the Neko Café. Few weeks ago, my friend T-chan recommended a place near to where I live called Neko Cafe Keurig and I've been wanting to go since then. So today was the day!
This is how it works...
After changing your shoes to slippers, you come in, drop your coat in a locker and disinfect your hands. 
There are several options: you can either pay by 30mn (then charged 10mn extra) or choose a set. Perso I took the drink menu. For a mere 880yens (£7), you can stay an hour and have one drink (tea or coffee or juices).The waitress writes on a piece of paper the time you come in and when you need to come out and off you go....

The place is cat heaven and design conscious

Sometimes it's difficult to find a seat.

But finally found a free one...They bring you a menu where you must read the rules, from what I understood:
- do not take photos with flash
- do not feed the animal with your food (there are sets with biscuits/meal)
- do not try to carry the cats
- do not speak loudly
- do not wake up a cat who sleeps.

At the end of the menu, a little presentation of the hosts.

So I settled with my tea and started looking around...

There wasn't much going on....

...so the waitress decided to give us (we were 3 in the cafe, me included) a bowl of tuna flakes to feed the cats. 

And suddenly....

...I had lots of friends!

Of course, it only lasted the time I had tuna to give away but that was nice ^_^

I'm not sure how they find the cats, probably abandoned cats. Apparently, in some Neko Cafe, the cats are in rotation so they aren't in 'display' all the time, i.e. I guess people trying to stroke them all the time must be stressful ^_^

this one obstinately wanted to go at the back, 

with the waitresses and owner

 

The cats seems to get plenty of affection from the waitresses/owner, so the cats aren't looking to make contact with you (when you haven't got any food to give them). In this sense it's different to owning a cat, I'm used to have my cat following me, wanting to sleep on my knees/shoulder/belly/face that I found the experience in Neko cafe a bit weird. I think that's why the waitress was also a bit of an entertainer, bringing us tuna to give away, playing with the cats, talking to us about the cats, etc.

This one loves paper

But somehow, it was super relaxing just to see these cats around, sleeping, playing...I came out of there, warm, relaxed and happy. For 880yens, I'd say that was well worth it!