Cat Cafes: RonRon and the Special Hat

For all of you who didn't know a couple months ago I visited an Owl Cafe, so to keep with the theme of strange cafes in Japan going I thought I'd venture into a Cat cafe! While in Matsuyama for spring break, we were casually walking down Okaido, an outdoor mall similar to Shinsaibashi when all of a sudden I spied this wonderful little sign. And of course out of a sense of vicarious duty to those back home I simply had to go in.  It was for you guys really, I clearly put your interests before my own.

Look at those apple cheeks, they really know how to pull you in.

We entered up a steep set of stairs and after telling the shop owner how many people we had we were given a card with our time on it (you get one hour generally) and ordered our drinks. I was surprised that they had more drink options than the owl cafe. Caramel Macchiato, Cafe O' Le, Cafe Mocha, various teas along with cappuccinos and espressos. There was about five cats in the room when we entered, a couple of couches, book cases filled with manga, a kotasu, and blankets for people to use. An over all cozy atmosphere with a lighthearted Studio Ghibli piano soundtrack playing in the background.

 It was peaceful, just your average cafe with slightly more cat hair than normal.  However, this normality lasted for all of about fifteen minutes. The owner was a very unique fellow. Now there are times in our lives when we must fess up and admit that our side hobbies and leisure activities have spiraled down that strange, strange abyss called obsession.  And when you wear a cat suit, you've gone too far. That's right, a straight off the Broadway stage catsuit. Now unfortunately (or fortunately) the owner didn't dawn his feline alter ego in our presence. But pictures speak a thousand words. Plastered on the walls along with the names, genders, and ages of all the cats was select photos of the owner with his cats in his catsuit. But hey what you do in your spare time, is your own business right? Maybe it's just a sales pitch, something to stir up some more business? I can't condemn a man to the abysmal label of crazy cat lover without more viable proof now can I? Proof there shall be!  Slowly over the period of our hour the shop owner would pop in with more and more cats, small cats, big cats, smushed faced cats, genetically mutated dwarf cats, etc. He brought in so many, each time telling us their names and a fun fact about them, that the room became crowded with them.

But it didn't stop there, He brought out special toys, special food, special boxes for the cats to sit in, even special outfits. And lastly, the crown jewel, the special hat. We thought  it couldn't get much weirder than cat clothes and cat suits. But suddenly the owner came back in the room brandishing what he coined, "the special hat."

He's getting real tired of your crap Catsuit guy. Real tired.

It was special alright.

I think my case is made here.

Crazy Cat guy or not, the owner really did make our experience more enjoyable. His passion for his cats and business helped break down the language barrier and kept our hour filled with excitement. I really recommend anyone visiting Matsuyama to stop by RonRon Cafe, and see it for yourselves. It really was a purrfect experience. 

 Come on, did you really think I'd go through this whole post without at least one poorly made cat pun?