Japanese at a Cat Cafe: Rules, Time Fees and Cat Words

Arriving and choosing your time

Most cat cafés have a small entrance area separated from the cat room by a double door, so the cats cannot slip out. Staff will greet you and usually ask whether it is your first visit, since first-timers get the rules explained. Popular cafés may have a waiting list or take reservations, yoyaku, especially on weekends.

The price board, ryōkin hyō, shows how the fees work. The standard model charges for a first block of time and then an extension fee, enchō ryōkin, for every extra block, often counted automatically from the time on your ticket. Some cafés offer furī taimu, a flat price for unlimited time, on certain days. Many require one drink per person, wan dorinku-sei, or include a self-service drink bar. Prices and systems vary a lot, so read the board or ask.

Signs and words on the price board

Before you go in, it helps to recognise the words on the price board and the entrance signs. They follow a small set of patterns that repeat across almost every animal café in Japan.

Many cafés have age limits, for example not admitting young children, or requiring them to be with an adult. The details vary, and they are usually on the board next to nyūten seigen.

Hand washing, lockers and the rules briefing

Before entering the cat room, you will usually be asked to take off your shoes or put on slippers, leave bags in a locker, rokkā, and wash or disinfect your hands, te-arai and shōdoku. This protects the cats and keeps the room calm.

Next comes the rules briefing, rūru setsumei, often with a laminated card in several languages. Staff speak quickly and politely, and they use a lot of -naide kudasai, please don't, and kinshi, prohibited. The rules are there because the cats live in the café, and following them is the single biggest part of cat café etiquette.

Touching, feeding and photo rules

Rules vary by café, but a common set is: do not pick cats up, do not chase them, do not wake them, and do not touch the tail or paws. Let the cat come to you, and stroke gently on the head or back. Many cafés also ask you not to give the cats any food or treats except the ones sold by the café, often called oyatsu, and some limit how many treats each guest can buy.

Photos are usually welcome without flash. Some cafés ban video, selfie sticks or tripods, and some ask you not to post photos of particular cats. If you want to play, look for nekojarashi, the feather or wand toys; staff sometimes ask you to use only the café's toys.

If you are not sure whether something is allowed, ask before doing it. Staff are always happier to answer a question than to stop you mid-action.

Talking about the cats

Staff at cat cafés know every cat well and are usually glad to talk about them. There is often a board with photos, names, ages and personalities of each cat, and talking about a favourite is a natural way to practise Japanese. Staff call the cats kono ko or ano ko, this one or that one, and often add -chan to names.

Describing a cat's personality uses a small, useful set of words: amaenbō, one who loves attention; hitomishiri, shy with strangers; kōkishin ōsei, very curious; and maipēsu, doing things at its own pace.

Cat vocabulary

These words turn up on the café's profile boards and in conversation with staff. Coat patterns in particular have their own everyday names, and hearing them is a sign you are talking about a real cat rather than cats in general.

If you want to review these words later, the free learning games in Unihongo are a quick way to drill katakana words like chatora and kijitora until you can read them on a café board at a glance.

Other animal cafés and rescue cafés

The same system applies at most animal cafés: time-based fees, hand washing and a rules briefing. You will find usagi kafe (rabbits), fukurō kafe (owls), inu kafe (dogs), kotori kafe (small birds) and cafés for more unusual animals. The vocabulary changes, but the phrases for fees, rules and asking questions stay the same.

A hogo neko kafe is a rescue cat café, where the cats are waiting for new homes. The words to know are jōto, rehoming, and satooya, a foster or adoptive owner. Adoption usually involves screening and conditions set by each café, and it is generally only possible for people living in Japan.

Animal welfare standards differ between cafés, and some types of animal café have attracted criticism. If you care about this, look at how the animals are housed, whether they can retreat to a quiet space, and whether the café limits handling. Choosing cafés with clear rules that protect the animals is a good rule of thumb.

When something goes wrong and paying

The most common problems are small: a cat scratches or nips you, you spill a drink, or you lose track of time. Tell the staff straight away if you are scratched, hikkakareta, or bitten, kamareta; they will have plasters and disinfectant and will want to know which cat it was. If a cat seems unwell or gets into something it should not, let the staff know rather than dealing with it yourself.

When you are ready to leave, go to the counter and say o-kaikei onegai shimasu. Staff will calculate the time from your card and add any drinks, treats or extensions. If you want to stay longer, tell them before your time ends so the extension is clear.