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© KYODO60% of animal cafes in Japan deal with species restricted by int'l laws: study
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Moonraker
Frankly, this is a totally irresponsible spectacle. It's still a Japanese zoo in a cafe, even if the animals can be accounted for, which, in the pursuit of profits, is unlikely. Animals are totally instrumental in Japan.
Yubaru
Why are animals "totally" crucial in Japan? I really dont get the point you are trying to make, particularly after your spot on comment about irresponsibility.
Animals are far from "instrumental" in Japan.
Lindsay
It’s not just the cafes. Visiting an exotic pet shop in Tokyo is like a visit to an endangered and protected species museum. I was surprised by how many endangered and protected Australian reptiles, marsupials and insects can be found in these exotic pet shops. I even saw one that had the deadly Sydney funnel web spider for sale. CITES would have a field day arresting these poachers if Japan actually recognized the ban on trade of protected species.
Moonraker
"Instrumental" - relating to something's function as a means to an end.
Vreth
I've been surprised many times in pet shops here. I saw chameleons and small sting rays for sale in a hardware store with a pet corner. Meercats and chipmunks for sale at a shop in Tokyo. I can't imagine a situation where having a wild meercat running around your house would be better than having a regular cat.
kurisupisu
Saw a Fennec fox on sale in a Konan store here and was concerned at how distressed it was.
Mark
All what we need is a new variant like COVID - 19 and it will be all over for these businesses.
Any time animals that are not suppose to be in the same environment are kept in close proximity to one another is a time bomb ready to explode according to many veterinarians and health experts.
It is almost impossible to keep these mixed animals healthy and suitable for contact with human unless they are being monitored by veterinarians and health care workers.
virusrex
Hundreds of species in close contact with humans and other animals, with close to zero infection control measures is as mentioned a huge risk, likely some human infection has already been produced, just fortunately nothing that can easily be transmitted between humans (yet).
The worst part is that most of these business are located in big population centers, so any outbreak of a pathogen would be very difficult if not impossible to control.
MilesTeg
The definition of instrumental refers to 'serving as a means of pursuing an aim' in this case the aim is making a profit with little regard for animals' health and welfare or adherence to international law restrictions.
Have you even been to one? Even the cats at cat cafes are far from happy. My niece from the US insisted on going to one and most of the time the cats were trying to get away and hide from people constantly trying to pet and cuddle them. A few times the owners would force the cats back literally plopping them onto customers' laps only for them to get away again. I saw at least three cats panting which is a clear sign the they're distressed.
Instrumental indeed. Purely for the aims of the owners with little regard for the animals' wishes or welfare.
gaijintraveller
Raccoons used to be a popular pet. When they got too big to keep in a house, they were released. They are now living in the wild. They are not a native species. They are considered considered a pest.
I have lived in my current house for 17 years. For maybe the first ten years I never saw a kyon, a barking deer. Now every time I drive at night I see two or three. They were released from a zoo about half an hour's drive away that went went bankrupt. They were nocturnal but now come out in the daytime because there is little to fear, no predators larger than them apart from humans.
These are not endangered species, but they are invasive. They provide an example of what can happen when invasive species breed without fear of predators.
They provide an example of what could happen if dangerous endangered species, thing like funnel spiders.
Rudolph Andrew Furtado
The pet cafe's began with actual cat's as exhibits and now seems to have spread over a wide domain of exotic animal/ bird/ insect/ reptile species exhibited akin to zoo's in Tokyo's pet cafe's.Its time this is restricted to common breeding species and not endangered species.
Rodney
I think that as long as they are vaccinated, breed in Japan, CITIES certifified, cared for, properly feed with natural diet, and assimilated into their environment, there should be no problem. Getting people close contact to animals will lead them to have some kind of feeling for nature and care about animal rights.
illegal traffickers = prison. Most animals die in transportation and stress from a radical environmental change.
japancat
I agree, Japan likes to present itself as an animal loving country, hence the plethora of Pet cafes and "Kawaii" cat programmes on TV, promoting ownership of DIY store inbreed cats, that people purchase as if they are stuffed toys. Then as soon as their stuffed toy acts like the animal that it is....they dump them in animal refuge centers, where OVER 46,411 cats and dogs are euthanized in Japan EVERY year. ( google it !! ). I could take you to 3 dogs that I know of in my area alone that are kept on a meter long lead ALL the days of their lives acting as a sentient ' People approaching alarm '....the most sad/miserable creatures you could ever wish to meet...eventually they dont even bark anymore. Yes, I did try to do something about it but was told that in Japan what people do on their private property with animals is very difficlt to prosecute. A PET IS FOR LIFE, NOT JUST A WHIM !!!!
japancat
We also have a rare 'Owl cafe' in our area!!!!! Disgraceful !
Jonathan Prin
Yep, a disgrace.
City dwellers have no clue about how another creature ought to be living.
Not a toy. Not an object.
Need regular attention and costs money.
Not a financial asset.
purple_depressed_bacon
Animal cafes should have never become a thing. It's horrible and cruel. Japan needs to revise and tighten their animal rights laws, which are currently dismal at best.
MilesTeg
All the negative votes show how uneducated Japanese are about animal rights. Just another way to make money.
ian
Maybe they're about generalization and racism
ian
What!!!? You also patronize the animal cafes yourself like the ones you call uneducated.
ian
Anyway would be difficult to stop these practices.
Even high profile cases like whaling can't be touched it seems
Antiquesaving
Whatever you do try and discourage family and friends from going to these torture chambers.
One place near Ueno is an Owl "cafe".
Owls are nocturnal but they keep them awake all day ( I will not go into detail how!)
But after animal welfare activist investigations exposed dead birds in the trash in several of these owl cafes.
Don't go
Antiquesaving
Actually it would be simple!
Nearly every single one is in health code violation, all are in hygiene violations, all it takes is one inspector to actually go out and inspect.
But you see the Japanese system is they inspect before opening then never return (now you know why the 50 years of grease on the wall yakitori shop can remain open).
I guarantee 10 cats, a dozen birds there is enough dander and mites to shut down any place.
And if these animals don't have mites or fleas then the chemicals on that many animals should be enough also to shut them down.
MilesTeg
First hand knowledge, you know, actually experiencing something is the best way to have an opinion don't you think. Isn't that the best way to get educated on something.
MilesTeg
Maybe it's just the truth without sugar coating anything and not be worried about people's feelings all the time.
ian
Just generalizing obviously is not truth. And of course if you're racist you're not worried about people's feelings
SDCA
I went to an usagi cafe once out of curiosity, I left with disappointment after watching those poor bunnies dealing with discomfort all day.
ClippetyClop
With respect, did you expect it to be any different?
Domesticated animals such as rabbits & cats I can sort of get being used in cafes, even though I don't think they should be. Wild animals such as owls or hedgehogs being used to amuse humans I can't get.
If you go to one of those places you are sponsoring animal cruelty and you should be able to see the connection between your custom and the misery of these creatures.
John-San
COVID Was invented in China novel virus lad. It did not jump from a mammal to humans. No concern need about covid in these cafes. Other deceases are a concern but not covid
MilesTeg
That they are growing in popularity and have now extended to wild animals with no public outcry or opposition means that the vast majority don't care or see nothing wrong with it. That's a fact. What's wrong is wrong and being worried about people's sensitivity equals to no change which is all too often what happens in Japan. Throwing around immature accusations of racism is all too easy and the approach of those who have no real stance on the subject except their own insecurities.
ian
That's not a fact. That's just a generalization with no basis.
It's plain it should be obvious to one who claims to be educated.
Immature accusation? Insecurities?
Lol. Desperate to change the topic huh
asusa tabi
it is likely that in ancient times the same outroar occurred when people started domesticating cats and dogs which were still considered "wild" at that time
ian
this was your mature comment by the way, the one I first commented on. Seems you're very secure about the votes
Stephen Chin
One question the Government of Japan have not asked the owners of such animal cafes and, the owners of such cafes have asked themselves is:
How the Government of Japan and the owners of such cafes would feel if rolls were reversed and, animal owners opened human cafes to attract animal visitors and clients?
ian
Wait I got curious. You patronize these animal cafes right? Research, I know , for research.
But why didn't you start a public outcry yourself?
MilesTeg
The topic of this thread is about animal cafes. What statements have you made about the topic. Zero. You're desperate to change the topic with the all too typical and immature 'woke' accusation of racism with no justification based on your own little insecurities. So who's desperate to change the topic huh.
The article itself mentions their popularity. If there was opposition and outcry, they would be decreasing in popularity not increasing in popularity and now extending to wild animals. It's basic logic not a generalization.
MilesTeg
The overwhelming majority of post on this thread are opposed to these cafes with valid arguments. Yet there's no counterargument based on valid arguments just lots of down votes. It's an obvious fact on this thread and nothing to do with maturity or questionable security. Identical to your previous desperate attempt to change the topic huh.
Stephen Chin
Suppose planet Earth was run by animals and they kept humans a pes. And they had cafes and, to have better business, they used us humans as animals to attract customers to make more money. How would we himans feel?
Stephen Chin
Correction : they kept us humans as pets
CPTOMO
These animal cafes are not concerning as far as diseases because we know Covid 19 was born in a lab.
virusrex
Nonsequitur, even if that was true (it is not) that would not reduce at all the well known risks of having wild animals in close proximity to each other and to people.
But since the claim is also false (since no institution of science or medicine says so) it is not only wrong, it makes no sense.
RKL
As we know, no diseases have evolved out of these cafes, so I feel perfectly fine entering one, and have the expert opinions to back up me up.
virusrex
How do you know? what epidemiological analysis do you have to claim this has not happened even once? baselessly claiming something do not mean it has to be true.
The other problem is that the experts including those in the article clearly say this is a risk, what actual scientific arguments do you have to contradict what the reported scientific study found that demonstrate a higher risk of animal-borne diseases?
The experts in the article clearly contradict your claim, pretending they support your personal belief is not an argument, if anything it is a baselessly appeal to authority that you use precisely because you have no argument to refute what the experts found in the study.
AramaTaihenNoYouDidnt
Parasitism - so wrong on so many levels.
hjnice
@japancat & MilesTeg, the negative votes you got shows, there are some real ignorant .... in this forum. I hope this reflects not the Japanese thinking. Btw, there are cat cafes where they have cats from the street, and if you want a cat for yourself you can get one there. Much better than one from a pet shop, supporting the bad breeder business.