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The World’s First Cat Cafe Raises Awareness for Pet Rescue and Adoption in Japan

Helping feline friends in need! In an effort to curb the amount of stray cats in Japan, non profit group Kitten Cafe Sanctuary, along with Yoro Railway, banded together on Sunday, September 10, to host a unique event that paired rescued kittens with animal lovers during their commute.

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Passengers who signed up for the unique experience were encouraged to play and snuggle with approximately 30 felines that roamed freely around a train in the central Japanese city of Ogaki.

A boy plays with a cat aboard a cat cafe train on the Yoro Railway line between Gifu and Mie prefectures in central Japan in a one-day event on Sept. 10, 2017.
A boy plays with a cat aboard a cat cafe train on the Yoro Railway line between Gifu and Mie prefectures in central Japan in a one-day event on Sept. 10, 2017. Kyodo News via Getty Images

And from the looks of the pictures snapped at the event, the furry pals were thrilled with their new human companions. Cats of all ages enjoyed playing with toys, climbing on furniture and even posing for pictures.

“I think it’s great that more people are aware of stray kittens though events like this,” passenger Mikiko Hayashi told Star TV of the experience, which aimed to create awareness surrounding cat rescue and adoption.

Passengers play with a cat on a cat cafe train on the Yoro Railway line between Gifu and Mie prefectures in central Japan in a one-day event on Sept. 10, 2017.
Passengers play with a cat on a cat cafe train on the Yoro Railway line between Gifu and Mie prefectures in central Japan in a one-day event on Sept. 10, 2017. Kyodo News via Getty Images

Another passenger, Kyoko Suzuno, echoed Hayashi’s sentiments: “It’s cute, very cute. There are so many cats. It’s great.”

Miho Taguchi, a representative of the Kitten Cafe sanctuary observed that the cats seemed to be having “fun” and were “being as playful as usual” despite their unfamiliar surroundings. “If there’s anyone interested in adopting cats, please drop by our store,” she said in the video.

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According to the non profit, Japan has a cat population of more than 9.8 million — a staggering number that the group is working actively to reduce.

The clip does point out that Japan’s efforts to curb the crisis is working. According to the video, there was a significant drop in the number of culled cats from 238,929 in 2004 to 45,574 in 2016.

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And while the future of the innovative cat cafe project is unclear, it’s safe to assume animal lovers would happily sign up for another ride. 

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