Bangkok Thailand Fat Cat Cafe. It is a cat’s world out there. Forget the likes of Garfield when you can mingle with these adorable felines for real at the Fat Cat Cafe Club in Bangkok. A whole cafe dedicated to cats and their owners in the heart of the city is a welcome change. Most city dwellers in Bangkok live in flats, apartments or condos that do not permit animals or only small animals such as toy sized dogs and cats. Most of these animals are home-bound, seldom seeing the outsides of their homes and with little opportunity to mingle with others of their kind. This provided a niche opportunity for budding entrepreneurs to come up with ingenious ideas of cafes for one’s favorite pet.
Bangkok Thailand Fat Cat Cafe
The Fat Cat Cafe Club is one such cafe for cats in Bangkok, nestled among high rise apartments and condominiums, it provides a sanctuary for owners to bring their cats for a time out of their abode. Occupying the ground floor of a corner shop lot, the owners of the cafe has provided a much needed service where the felines can roam free inside and play with all manner of climbing poles and simulated tree houses to mixing with other fellow felines and getting acquainted. Aptly considered a club, the owners are just as proud to bring their well-groomed charges for much needed quality time outside while they exchange stories about them and chat with members who have similar interest.
Bangkok Thailand Fat Cat Cafe
This cafe prides itself on cleanliness …for the cats! Humans have to desensitize their hands and remove their shoes in a cordoned off entrance way before entering the cafe so as not to cause the felines any illness or discomfort. Therefore, priority is not on you but your cats! There are toys and cushions to make these pets feel right at home and they occupy any place they like in the cafe.
Bangkok Thailand Fat Cat Cafe
This cafe is mostly frequented by the younger generation of city dwellers, some with more than one cat who come quite frequently from the familiar greetings of the owners when they step into the cafe. You can be here all day if you like as there are kitty litter trays provided and even cat meals if you require them for your pet.
Off course if you are wondering “what about for their humans”, yes there is a small menu selection of snacks and desserts to keep you munching your time away or free WiFi for you to use while you wait until your dear cat feels like going home or the cafe closes.
Bangkok Thailand Fat Cat Cafe
The resident cat at the cafe reminds me of the famous Grumpy Catand he obviously does not like to be carried by strangers even though he seems adorable. Cats by nature are nocturnal and can be very lethargic in the day time which is why we noticed quite a number of them sleeping contentedly in the cafe. Some were playing with the floor to ceiling climbing poles or just feeling happy to be paid extra attention by their owners.
Bangkok Thailand Fat Cat Cafe
The cafe itself has everything catty right down to cat cushions and colorful wall murals. Most owners are happy to sit on the floor with their cats. All the cats here seemed well-fed and chubby so there is no lack of attention paid to them.
Bangkok Thailand Fat Cat Cafe
Mr Grumpy here keeping an eye on things from the cashier counter. Seems to be his favorite spot where he has a commanding view of the whole cafe. Then again, he is after all the master of the cafe!
Bangkok Thailand Fat Cat Cafe
This cat reminds me of my own fat cat back home with exact colours and size. Cats can be very intuitive as well as social snobs. Their fierce independence gives them an air of aloofness and dignity plus they are very clean creatures when it comes to toilet time being particular to have a clean sandbox.
Bangkok Thailand Fat Cat Cafe.
Masters of the cafe making sure the rest tow the line as it would seem in this picture. Short of using the cash register to ring up sales, this pair could pass for counter staff.
A beautiful Onyx stripped cat belonging to a customer, too lazy to move and just watching the others go by. Cats have priority where they want to be in the cafe and you, the human, has to make way for them.
A lady and her pet enjoying time together. The cats need not be on a leash but maybe this lady likes to keep her pet close by. This is a very typical Thai lifestyle among the new generation of Thai city dwellers which is why if you walk the Chatuchak weekend market, you will find a whole section dedicated to pets and pet accessories as well as many pet shops that has sprouted in almost every nook of Bangkok.
A pair of sleeping beauties cosy up together on a play track. Simply adorable just watching them sleep without a care in the world except to be loved, eat, sleep, play and poop. Aaahhhh …. a cat’s life it is!
The lady owner with one of the prize cats. Look at the size of this beauty, almost the size of a small dog. The Fat Cat Cafe Club is most definitely dedicated to cats and cat lovers in Bangkok who cannot get enough of these adorable yet very independent creatures.
Whoever said that black cats were bad luck, seems that this particular one is enjoying plenty of good luck. With blazing green eyes it keeps a wary watch over incoming visitors to the cafe and probably checking out the competition.
Cat lovers can now add a new favourite cafe to their list with the establishment of such feline friendly places in the city. It makes sense to have such cafes in the city where after all we have fun gyms and parks for children, so why not for our favourite pets!
In my short time there I was given the opportunity to cuddle up to these wonderful beauties as well as to hear numerous cat related stories about almost every cafe cat there on the premise.
I am sure there are quite a number of these animal friendly cafes in Bangkok city that provides a welcome change from regular cafes that are not pet friendly, especially for those who would like to bring their pets out with them. There are also dog friendly cafes available similar in concept to this cat cafe. Many owners especially here in Thailand keep small pets to be companions in a bustling city that has many stress related jobs and lifestyles, so their pets are a way of distraction for their mundane everyday routines. Some would consider their pets as family members or even as “children” and dress them in clothes or walk them in baby prams at department stores or markets. One thing is for sure, Thai people adore their pets and lucky are the creatures that end up with a very pampered lifestyle here in the Big Mango!