Not All Cat Cafés Are The Same - 15 September 2023!

Today was a bit of an odd day if I am honest. We had nothing planned, so just went with the flow. After breakfast, we went for a particularly long walk to the only Cat Cafe in Chiang Mai. It has become somewhat of a tradition for Darrell and I to visit these places, when we are travelling abroad, but as I have discovered over the years, not all cat cafés are the same. Subconsciously, I was feeling a little more hesitant than usual; I had a feeling it might not be what we expected, and I wasn’t wrong.

I need to walk every day, it’s just something I have to do now, keeping my weight in check. After doing it for several years, I am actually enjoying it. Whether I am on holiday or not, I need to keep up the momentum, so as long as I walk 10,000 steps a day I am happy. Today I have done over 20,000, so I’m pretty satisfied with that, if a little knackered.

Walking to the café, was a bit of an obstacle course; the roads in Chiang Mai, aren't particularly great, and I wasn't really dressed for walking either, wearing white linen trousers and a pair of flip-flops. Even though I was suitably attired for the tropical climate, it was really practical for the rainy season in northern Thailand. Nevertheless, I persevered with the walking, trying to keep my clothes clean and avoid the muddy roads.

We did manage to photograph yet another Wat on our walk this morning, one we had missed earlier, but in truth there are so many, you would never have enough time to visit them all. This religious site was as brilliant as the last, breathtaking in every respect. Despite the run-down nature of life in Chiang Mai, the Wats and monuments are extremely well cared for and a joy to visit. After a brief look around, we left, with the sun beating down, heading towards the Cool Cat Cafe at the other end of the city!

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Cool Cat Cafe

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It took about an hour to walk to the ‘Cool Cat Cafe;’ by the time I got there, I was hot, sweaty and tired, so wasn’t in the best of moods. Nothing, however, could have prepared me for the oddest cat café experience I have ever had, and one I never want to repeat.

As we walked through the door, I was immediately hit by a strong smell of ammonia; it was so overpowering, my eyes almost immediately started to stream. At that point, I should have walked out straight away. I had the distinct impression, the cats were not being cared for properly, I knew it deep down and wish I had never gone. The staff seemed disinterested and certainly not qualified to look after animals in such a small enclosed space.

When I say animals, I mean animals – all of them were hungry, and they weren’t all cats. There were lots of different felines, all shapes, sizes and breeds, but there was also a Fennec Fox and several Meerkats, as well as a cage with some form of rodent in. Under normal circumstances, none of these different animals should be housed together, and it was clear, that all of them had behaviour problems to differing degrees.

Now Darrell and I have been to many different Cat Cafés, all over the World, and we haven’t experienced this kind of set up before. When we entered the building, within a few seconds, we were accosted by all the animals housed there; jumping up and down, trying to climb our legs, there was clearly a problem. As a rule, well cared for cats will not react like this, unless they are hungry – they were literally starving. As much as I knew I should leave, I stayed for a short while, just in case my first impression was wrong.

We bought a drink and some food to feed the inmates; as Darrell opened the packets he was pounced on, as the cats, MeerKats and Fox all desperately fought for the small amount of food on offer – I have never seen anything like it and I felt quite upset.

I sat down briefly and was immediately set upon by a small tiny kitten, who really shouldn’t have been there, it was just too small and fragile. It clung on, not wanting to let go, and I just knew it was time to go. My eyes were now streaming more than ever, and I was beginning to feel physically sick and anxious. This was no place to keep cats, and the people in charge had absolutely no idea how to care for them.

Within half an hour, I told Darrell we were leaving; I walked out of the door and left, followed by Darrell after a few choice words. I can not get these poor creatures out of my head, but I also understand that animal welfare is different all over the World. Wherever I have been, cats in particular, have never been looked after as I would want, so I am trying to put a positive experience on my visit to the café, but in reality I just can’t.

Walking back to the hotel, I was in two minds about writing this today, but to be honest it has to be said. For a cat lover like me, to see animals in distress, with behavioural problems, issues with their eyes and fighting each other for food, is an absolute no, no. I love animals and don’t want to see them upset in any way. Having said all this, they were the most affectionate cats I have ever seen; I believe they were hungry and just desperate for love and attention, something they were not getting otherwise. I would never go back to this place again, under any circumstances; I left deflated and depressed, so God knows how the poor cats felt!

In the evening, we went for an early evening meal at Airnniversary, just as the heavens opened, and the rain come down. The food was great as ever, although with the rain tumbling down, we were the only customers in there. This is the rainy season, so I really shouldn’t expect anything different. Despite the rain, it was still warm, and a joy sat there listening to the thunder and lightening outside. We will be back for a final meal tomorrow!

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