Pet cafes do not necessarily have the best reputation, with unfortunate cases of abuse and unethical breeding happening at some establishments. While the question of cruelty will always surface, it’s crucial to acknowledge and be educated that not all animal cafes are inhumane, and there are businesses out there that truly care about the wellbeing of animals.
We were lucky enough to come across such a cafe in JB, and got to learn more about how it worked through speaking with the staff onsite and observing their interaction with the animals.
Introducing Fluffy Time, JB’s first animal cafe. Just a 10-15 minutes drive from the Causeway, this cosy abode is home to exotic species like wallabies and skunks, as well as domesticated ones like rabbits and cats. It’s easy to miss it while driving, but keep a lookout for a red and blue infinity sign.
Here, the cafe is separated into two sections — one for dining and appreciating the animals from a distance through a glass window, and another for the animals to socialise and play.
Only a maximum of 10 people are allowed into the animal playroom at any one time and children under eight years are denied entry. Hygiene procedures are also taken to protect the health of the animals. For instance, those entering must always sanitise their hands and remove their socks and shoes. Clean slippers are provided.
All animals are taken in at a young age; typically from three months of age where they start to go through major physical and behavioral changes. Wallabies usually come from Australia and skunks from Europe. Also, we were told that all their animals have unique names to suit their appearances and personalities. They even react to their names when called!
New pets taken in are slowly introduced to animal and human contact and familiarised with smells. Adaptation time can take anywhere from a day to two weeks, and during this process, customers are kept away from them as much as possible.
All animals are toilet trained and given vet visits once a month. In any instance the animals fall ill, it’s usually quickly detected by the cafe’s highly-trained staff as they look out for inconsistencies such as off poop colour and decrease in appetite.
Customers are more than welcome to feed and hug the animals; however a staff must be present to hand the animal over. Their reaction to humans are dependent on mood as well; they run away or sleep if they’re not particularly fond of a human’s touch.
Currently, animals are not for sale —including domesticated ones— as the cafe’s staff develop emotional connections with the animals over time too.
No entrance fee is required to enter the cafe. However, customers must purchase at least a drink (S$5.20) each to sit outside the playroom.
To enter the playroom and interact with the animals, purchase of a food set (a drink + waffle or cake at S$16) is mandatory. If desserts aren’t really your thing, mains are available too.
While visiting a pet cafe may be fun and even relieve some stress, remember to not do it at the animal’s expense. Let’s keep a happy and healthy environment for our animals!
Location: 60 Jalan Intan, Kim Teng Park, 80300 Johor Bahru
Opening hours: 11.30am – 10.30pm
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