Cats in a Cat Café: Individual Cat Behavior and Interactions with Humans

Area of Science:

• Animal behavior
• Feline welfare science
• Animal-human interaction studies

Background:

• Cat cafés are increasingly popular globally.
• Limited research exists on their impact on feline welfare.
• This study investigates cat welfare from an animal perspective in a Swedish cat café.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess space utilization, cat-cat interactions, and cat-human interactions in a cat café setting.
• To identify environmental factors influencing feline welfare.
• To provide recommendations for optimizing cat café design for animal well-being.

Main Methods:

• Direct observation of 27 neutered domestic cats over 70 days (227 hours).
• Utilized scan sampling and focal observations with unbiased data collection.
• Analyzed space use, frequency and type of cat-cat interactions, and cat-human interactions.

Main Results:

• Cats preferred elevated structures and cat-only rooms, especially during high customer traffic.
• Cat-cat interactions were infrequent and predominantly affiliative, with avoidance as a conflict-reduction strategy.
• Cat-human interactions were absent 44.4% of the time, with varied cat responses to human presence.

Conclusions:

• Cat cafés require complex vertical environments, hiding spots, and private areas to support natural behaviors and reduce stress.
• Environmental design is crucial for promoting group stability and feline welfare.
• Further research is needed on long-term cat-human relationship effects and optimizing café design for both welfare and visitor experience.