Hong Kong has its own fair share of pet cafes, catering to dog and cat lovers.  However, co-founder of Rabbitland Cafe, Ricky Lam, was inspired to open up the first ever rabbit cafe in Hong Kong after falling in love with rabbits following a visit to Okunoshima, Japan’s famous ‘rabbit island’.

Located in the busy commercial district of Causeway Bay, Rabbitland Cafe is home to 12 rescued rabbits, most of them have been abandoned by previous owners.  Rabbitland Cafe is a place where people can have fun spending time and playing with the rabbits whilst enjoying drinks and light snacks.  In addition to that, one of the co-founders, Teddy Chui, claims that, “a lot of parents bring their kids here if they want to buy a rabbit, so they know it’s not all about playing with them – it’s a lot of work and responsibility”.

Photo credit: AFP/Getty Images 

The trend of pet cafes began in Taipei, Taiwan – the first one named “Cat Flower Garden” opened in 1998.  The popularity of pet cafes spread rapidly – especially in newly industrialized East Asian countries such as South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong, and more recently spreading to Singapore.

The rise in popularity of pet cafes in Asia can be explained by the extremely high living costs.  Many residents can only afford to live in small apartments or condominiums and most of these buildings may not allow pets.  The working culture in Asia could also serve as an explanation for the rise in pet cafes.  In countries like South Korea and Japan, it is not unusual for people to work twelve hours or more in a day.  Long working hours and a small living space is not the ideal combination for raising and keeping pets.

This is where the pet cafes come into play.  These cafes mainly target customers who love animals but are not able to keep their own pets, and the businesses aim to provide their customers with the feeling of companionship and comfort from having a pet.  Pet cafes are also a popular destination for tourists as the concept is unique to Asia, although the trend is slowly making its way to Europe and North America.

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Sources:

http://www.ctvnews.ca/lifestyle/hong-kong-s-rabbit-cafe-hops-onto-high-street-1.3039708