Since cat cafés have opened in the last decade, there has been attempts for pushback from animal welfare agencies. Both the RSPCA and Cats Protection have stated that cat café environments are actively bad for the welfare of the cats. Research has shown that cats do not handle busy environments in enclosed spaces, with large numbers of people wanting their attention. Cats Protection has also pointed out that even though the café claims to have the intention to house the cats, this too is detrimental to their welfare as it leads to a lack in the stability that cats need. All of this can lead to cats suffering from poor health.

In addition to this, there have been numerous reports online, including employee reviews on indeed.com, highlighting an awful and frankly abusive working environment. They state that verbal abuse is rampant and the working environment is terrible. They also state that cats are often rehomed without proper checks.

Given the substantive evidence for an environment that is harmful both to the cats it claims to be in aid of, and for its staff, I believe NTSU should stop promoting the Café on its social media. Sure, cats are cute, but the café goes against all the values the SU should uphold.

Sources:

• BBC: Are cat cafes good for cats?
• Indeed: Kitty Café Employee Reviews
• Reddit: Kitty Café Employee Reviews
• Cats Protection: Cat Cafés