Cats in a Cat Café: Individual Cat Behavior and Interactions with Humans.

Cat cafés are gaining popularity worldwide, yet little is known about their impact on feline welfare. This study examined a Swedish cat café from an animal perspective by assessing space use, cat-cat interactions, and cat-human interactions. A total of 27 neutered domestic cats (12 males, 15 females), with a median stay of 8 weeks, were directly observed in groups of 8-9 individuals for a total of 227 h over 70 days. Scan sampling and focal observations were conducted without prior knowledge of cat background to minimize bias. Results showed that elevated structures (χ2-goodness-of-fit test, χ2 (2) = 1234.2, p < 0.001, post hoc Bonferroni correction padj = 0.013) were important, particularly during periods of high customer occupancy, when cats preferred vertical levels or cat-only rooms. Cat-cat interactions were infrequent (0.58 interactions/cat/h) and mostly affiliative (51.9%), consistent with avoidance as a conflict-reduction strategy. Cat-human interactions were absent in 44.4% of the observation time. Cats varied in their responses to human presence, from engaging to avoiding. Findings suggest that cat cafés should provide complex vertical environments, hiding places, and private areas to support natural behaviors, reduce stress, and promote group stability. As cats come into contact with large numbers of visitors prior to adoption, further research should assess its long-term effects on cat-human relationships and optimize café design to balance cat welfare and visitor experience.