Cats at Japan's 'cat cafes' now allowed to stay up till 10

TOKYO - The Associated Press

AFP photo

Felines at Japan's "cat cafes" are now officially allowed to stay up until 10 p.m. to interact with customers.

The Environment Ministry's animal rights panel said on April 27 that the cats will be allowed to hang out for two more hours than officially allowed under the current guidelines.
     
Under the 2012 guidelines, cats and other animals at pet shops are prohibited from being displayed after 8 p.m.

Cat cafes, however, were allowed to have their cats out until 10 p.m., but only while experts studied the impact of nightlife on the cats' health.
     
Experts concluded that the additional hours made no notable difference on cats' stress levels.
     
Cat cafes - where cats can be seen and played with - are extremely popular in Japan, with hundreds of outlets in the country.