Warwickshire cat café seen as ‘valuable asset’ to community and calls to phase cafes out labelled ‘extreme’
CALLS from the RSPCA to phase out cat cafés in the UK have been labelled as “extreme” and a suggestion there should be more of them.
Following a surge in numbers across the UK in the last 12 months, RSPCA cat welfare expert Alice Potter said she believes that the cafes, such as Shakespaws Cat Café on Union Street in Stratford, are not a good environment for cats and that being around strangers can make the animals stressed and uncomfortable.
However, Jayne Richman-Bolt, who has owned Shakespaws for six years, told the Herald: “I feel that we’re providing a public service in lots of ways. We attract a lot of people that have social anxieties. I think we are a valuable asset to not just our community, but to our wider visitors as well.
“I don’t think they should be phased out at all. In fact, if anything, I feel there should be more of them because so many people can inter-act with animals more than they can with humans. I think it’s almost vital, I’ll go as far as to say.”
Jayne added: “From a welfare perspective, we feel that the cats have a much better life than probably most cats would do with a normal domestic environment. They’re with people most of the time during the day. During the evening, we have cat-sitters that come in and sit with them. They probably have more interaction with people than most cats would have.”
The Stratford cat café currently has eight resident cats. Any more than this and manager Rebecca Violet says would be unfair on the cats for the size of their environment.Rebecca told the Herald of her mixed reactions to the RSPCA stance.
“In all honesty, there are some valid points,” Rebecca said. “I’ve been to about 10 cat cafés myself, some better than others.
“For us, we have prioritised welfare, but of course, as a business, in an ideal world you need to make enough money, but welfare is the most important.
“With some cafés it’s all about getting as many people in as possible, including very young children, which can be incredibly stressful for some cats. I’m not saying for all cats, but for some, espe-
cially if it’s from a rescue background.
“We have a rule of no under-10s for that reason, it’s our cat welfare policy.
“I’m not saying all under-10s are naughty children, but we have to think about this as our cats’ home, and they need to be comfort-able. We find with just children over 10 and adults, it works perfectly, and there’s more respect in a quieter environment.”
The RSPCA calls to phase out cat cafés is one that Rebecca also feels is going too far.
“I think there should be rules in place to make sure they’re run correctly and run fairly, absolutely. There is a valid point, but just phasing them out completely is ridiculous,” Rebecca said. “It’s coming from someone who’s probably been to one bad café, or none at all. That’s what I thought when I read that.
“We have been here six years, so we love what we do. Of course, we’re learning every day – there’s always new things to learn. But we absolutely love it. Most importantly, the cats are happy.”
The running costs of the café is something Rebecca believes not a lot of people consider.
“There’s a lot more that goes into it,” Rebecca added. “Cat cafés charge an entry fee. People think, ‘Oh this business must be making a load of money’. For a summary of just how much it costs
to run a cat café, litter is £100 a month, vet bills are hundreds of pounds. Then you’ve got worming treatment and flea treatment every three months. Their food, they have to be on a good diet to
stay healthy. They are house cats and they do occasionally steal the odd bit of human food, which they shouldn’t.
“We’re finding a lot of cafés do actually close quite soon after opening because I don’t think they realise how much it costs. Our cats here are very happy, they’re not stressed out and they’re very content and they love the attention.
“But it’s also good for a lot of people, we have a lot of people with anxiety, things like this, and it really helps them.”
