Manchester cat cafe issues staunch defence after RSPCA calls for ban (2025)

"Cat Cafes are not all the same, and they should not be opened without serious thought and consideration for the cats welfare"

Manchester's soon-to-relaunch cat cafe has issued a statement in response to calls from the RSPCA and Cats Protection for these types of establishments to be 'closed'.

Today, the two charities have said the eateries - which give customers the chance to have a brew amongst furry felines - should not be operating as it is 'almost impossible' to meet the welfare needs of animals in such an environment.

RSPCA cat welfare expert Alice Potter said: “We don’t believe these environments can consistently provide cats with a good quality of life and are hugely concerned that many cats will be unhappy as a result.

“Having descended from solitary, territorial, roaming wildcats, they are likely to find the enforced proximity to other felines as well as unfamiliar visitors wishing to stroke them extremely stressful."

The comments by the charities come after a surge in openings of cat cafes across the country over the last year, allowing customers to interact with resident cats and even adopt them.

In January, and four years after closing its doors, Manchester Cat Cafe confirmed that it would be reopening. The cafe will return to the city in the coming months, taking up a unit in a Barton Arcade on Deansgate.

Responding to the comments issued today, Sarah Jane said that they were in 'strong agreement' with the RSPCA and The Cats Protection League for greater regulation, but said the way they operate their own cafes is 'different' and that they hold weekly reviews for the welfare of the cats.

The post in full read: "We would like to take this opportunity to address the statement in the news today from the RSPCA and The Cats Protection League.

"We are in strong agreement that there needs to be more regulation in the industry, as we believe many cafes are operating in manners that are harmful to cats.

"At least 90% of Cat Cafes in the UK are operating as rescue centres, where they move cats in and out of the café which creates a stressful environment for its residents.

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"Rescue cats tend to benefit from access to outdoors in a quieter household with no other cats in which to share their resources. So we do not support Cat Cafes that are operated in this manner.

"We would like to state why our cafes are different. The cats in our cafes are pedigree, as they are best suited to an indoor only environment, and they are bred for temperament, meaning our cats need a lot of attention from people, and also enjoy the company of other cats.

"In fact, breeds like Siamese and Sphinx can become lonely if they live without a feline companion; so it would be cruel to keep them isolated in a one cat household.

"Our cafes have windows for natural light and there is plenty of space off the café floor for cats to get away from customers.

"They are provided with enough resources spread out throughout a very large building to reduce any competitive behaviour. Our cats are never ever kept in cages - as is the case in some Cat Cafes.

"We review the behaviour of our cats weekly, and if we feel any cat in our café is not happy and is showing signs of stress, we would immediately remove them from the environment.

"Our cafes provide animal assisted therapy for people with mental health conditions and neurodiversity.

"We would love to invite the Cats Protection League and the RSPCA to work with us to create strict rules regarding the welfare of cats in cat cafes.

"Cat Cafes are incredibly difficult to run responsibly, and therefore there does need to be stricter regulations for people who want to open them in the future.

"Cat Cafes are not all the same, and they should not be opened without serious thought and consideration for the cats welfare."

Site set to re-open

Manchester Cat Cafe was founded by sisters Ellie and Sarah Jane Close in 2016 and was home to a variety of moggies that visitors could pay to spend time with.

In 2021, they closed the original Norther Quarter site, telling customers they were 'truly heartbroken' but said the impact of coronavirus closures on the business gave them no choice but to permanently shut the High Street site.

Back in January, the Manchester Cat Café owners told the Manchester Evening News that it had taken a long time to recover from the pandemic.

"It’s taken perseverance, but we’ve finally managed to secure a new premises, and we’re hoping to return bigger, stronger and better than ever," they said.

The Cat Café also has a branch in Liverpool, and like its Manchester counterpart is led by a mission to make animal assisted therapy accessible to everyone.

At the Liverpool site, they allow entry to anyone over the age of 10 years old with specific hours for 4-9 year olds available on a daily basis.

They have also created a community by hosting book clubs, cat yoga, movie nights, and sessions designed specifically for people with autism and special educational needs.

Cat Cafe UK follows the traditional Japanese model, so instead of paying for food and drink, you pay for time. You book a slot for as long as you like, and all drinks are unlimited and free of charge.

There are currently more than 30 cat cafes licensed in England, with 44% of those licences granted in the last financial year, according to a recent freedom of information request to all councils in England and Wales by the charities.