Singapore's First Cat Cafe – Neko no Niwa [Photo Gallery] – Celine Chiam | Singapore Lifestyle, Beauty and Travel Blogger

With the hype over the first Cat Cafe recently opened in Singapore, I know I can never give this Singapore’s Cat Cafe a miss, not when I am a cat lover myself. So 2 weeks ago, I dropped by Cat Cafe Neko no Niwa with my boyfriend, and thankfully we had our reservation made at 7pm to avoid disappointments. There were many people who came by the cat cafe and found themselves rejected simply because Cat Cafe Neko no Niwa had been fully booked every day since they first opened in 25 December. 

I’ll pretty much let the photos do the talking, because there really isn’t much to say. If you want an honest opinion from my point of view, I really didn’t find it enjoyable at all. 

Weird isn’t it? A cat lover who should be having lots of fun at a cafe filled with 13 cats, failed to feel so. Why? 

1. At 7pm, most of the cats are sleeping. There’s this man (should be the owner) who seem to be forever watching us as though we will threaten the cats at any point of time . I mean, I understand it’s really for the cats’ welfare and safety, but he honestly gave me a very hostile feel, even though I TRIED to start a chat with him very nicely, about the cats and stuff. Maybe he just doesn’t like my face or what, I don’t care. 

There was once I took photo of the cats’ small little underpass to their ‘toilets’ and this man just told me off and without giving any reasons, demanded me not to take any more photos of the underpass. Well, I am your customer and I don’t see why you can’t tell me nicely with a reason why I couldn’t take the photo. In fact I’ll stop once you tell me! That moment totally destroy my mood at the cat cafe and I swear I will never patronise again. I rather volunteer at the animal shelter where many other animals need my attention.

2. I find spending the money ($12 per hour) elsewhere more useful. Spend that money, buy cat food and feed the strays will be much much more meaningful than visiting the cat cafe over and over again (once should be fine, you and I want that first experience). You want some therapeutic feeling? Go to the animal shelter because the cats there are mostly abandoned cats, so they are more affectionate. I’ve been there, done that. I don’t blame the cats at Neko no Niwa to be hostile, because cats are like that. But they are really too over-protected by that male cafe owner. 

3. It’s different from other countries’ cat cafes. As much as I understand different countries will have their styles in running the cat cafe, I am not referring to the small space or steep prices Neko no Niwa charges. I am talking about how the staff treat their customers. 

Here’s a photo of me at a Cat Cafe in Taiwan. 

The cafe staff in Taiwan were very friendly, and the man in Singapore’s Cat Cafe is certainly not comparable. He’s hostile, he doesn’t smile and for that I don’t understand why is he operating this Cat Cafe. He’s worried that customers would hurt his cats, but yet he’s showcasing them to earn money. I don’t understand the logic.

Back to Taiwan’s Cat Cafe. Basically, there’s not so much restrictions about cleanliness, rules and regulations and many things. We don’t have to take off our shoes, we can carry the cats onto our laps, we can play with them without being supervised. All this are unlike Singapore’s Neko no Niwa. Please, trust those patrons to be true cat lovers since they make the effort to patronise you. 

All in all, it’s that male staff/owner that seriously piss me off. The other female part time staff are fine, and friendly. 

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Finally done ranting but I can still feel all the unhappiness bottling up in me as I type this post. The whole Singapore cat cafe experience is one that is nice to have, but not one that justifies my patronage for a second time.

Let’s have the photos do the talking.  

Have a good weekend! *Stretch*

Love,

Celine