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Rubrica di Adrienne Morgan

Harry Hedgehog Cafe

Weekly Topic: Have you ever been to an animal cafe?

Feb 21, 2020

I once went to a animal cafe in Tokyo. It is called the Harry Hedgehog Cafe. I had never been to an animal cafe before. 

When I arrived, I had to fill a form that talked about care and allergies. I washed my hands. I made some instant coffee while I waited. 

I sat at a table and there were tanks with a few hedgehogs in each. Most of them were asleep. You can chose one and a staff member will give you a basket with the hedgehog in it. You can pet it or pick it up. You must be careful, don't drop it. The spikes weren't sharp but they weren't soft either. After awhile, the hedgehog doesn't like being held, so you can have the staff member return it and choose a new one. I pet two hedgehogs in one hour. Some of the animals were ok with many people, and others were more shy. 

I am not sure that I like the idea of animal cafes. I know this company had adoptions available. But it didn't seem very kind to the animals. I really don't think it's a good idea for birds or bigger animals. I hope that there is a better way forward in the future.

This column was published by the author in their personal capacity.
The opinions expressed in this column are the author's own and do not reflect the view of Cafetalk.

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