While we're away, we're lucky enough to have friends in our building looking after poor ol' Buttons. But after glancing at a picture of him being kept company, we pouted just a little. It's hard being on the other side of the world from a beloved pet.
But we must not forget: this is Tokyo, where there is a solution to nearly any problem. So when serendipity struck in Harajuku in the form of a perfectly placed advertisement, we knew what we had to do.
On the fifth floor of a nondescript building half a block south of the (closing) flagship Gap store sits Cat Room Chamamo. It is a cat café, providing visitors a chance to play with any/all of the nine resident cats for a nominal fee. Drinks and light snacks are also available.
There are prerequisites and rules, of course - mandatory hand washing and sanitizing, no picking up the cats, no outside food, etc. But you do get your choice of complimentary cat toys to use to attract the attention of the cats.
Is it a silly way to pass the time? Sure. But I love the idea that if you are away from home, unable to own a pet, or otherwise animal deprived, there's a place you can go that directly solves that problem.
Count us as fans. A few more pictures are up on Flickr.
(For people with other tastes in pets, you can rent a dog at Odaiba's Puppy The World, or have a stop at popular bunny cafe Usagi To Cafe in Nagoya.)
