Tokyo 'cat cafe' shut down for animal neglect

The "Neko no Te" (cat's paw) cafe – one of many in Tokyo where guests can stroke the fluffy felines while sipping on a cappuccino – was visited by authorities after the cooped-up kitties bred rapidly and began showing signs of illness, Tokyo officials said Friday.

A spokeswoman from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Bureau of Social Welfare and Public Health told AFP the cafe had received several warnings over hygiene standards, before the patience of authorities snapped and they revoked its licence for 30 days.

"We issued repeated requests but there was no improvement," said Yuriko Iwamoto.

"The property wasn't being cleaned properly and it was beginning to smell very bad," she added.

"In line with animal welfare laws we were therefore forced to order them to cease business."

Inspectors who went to the cafe in Tokyo's Sumida ward found more than 60 cats crammed into a confined space of just 30 square metres (320 square feet) – despite it having applied to keep just 10 of the animals – after they bred due to a lack of cages.

"There were more cats than cages," added Iwamoto. "The cages they did have were not properly controlled so they just multiplied."

The inspectors also discovered more than 40 cats displaying cold symptoms and pointed out there was insufficient space or opportunity for them to exercise.

As of last year, Tokyo had 58 registered cat cafes, which have also done a roaring trade across Japan, other parts of Asia and have even begun sprouting up in Europe.