Located in the hot spring town of Yugawara Japan, lies a unique hotel called My Cat Yugawara where you can choose a kitty to join you during your stay there.
The owner of the hotel, Akihiro Ochi came up with the novel concept when he realized how many cat-lovers there were in Japan who were unable to own cats because of their living situations.
Cats come first
Even though Ochi envisioned a place where cat-lovers could fulfill their dreams of having a kitty companion, he ensured in the creation of the hotel that the cat’s needs would always come first. He told Bored Panda:
“We are not operating for profit. A huge portion of our income goes to maintaining the facility, including feeding the cats and maintaining their health.”
Before guests can prevail of a ‘Trial Package’ where a cat will be brought to their room and stay there with them from 5.30 pm to 9 am, they must first complete a session in the hotel’s cat cafe to ensure that they choose a cat who is comfortable with them.
The cat becomes the guest’s responsibility while they are in their room, and all guests are presented with a litter tray and food for their feline roommate upon arrival.
Finding forever homes
Every cat that lives at My Cat Yugawara is a rescue that is available for adoption, so if a guest takes a shine to their kitty roommate and they pass an interview and home check, they will be able to offer the cat a forever home.
Akihiro Ochi has shared that his ultimate goal for his hotel is to introduce cat-lovers to pussy-cats who are ready to find a loving and stable home.
He is very clear that the cats are never made to feel as if they have to complete the job of entertaining guests, he explains:
“The cats in My Cat Yugawara are by no means working, everyone within My Cat Yugawara are family and best friends. We even sleep and eat together. We, the staff, know the personality of each and every cat ‘child’ we have because of how close we all are.”
A popular tourist destination
In order to never overwhelm their feline residents, the small hotel offers only six rooms, restricting the number of people who have access to the cats so that they can live within a calm environment.
In recent years, My Cat Yugawara has become a popular tourist destination, that has seen cat-lovers from across the globe making the journey to the small town to choose a feline companion to share a room with.
Popular YouTube vlogger Sharmeleon recently visited the unique kitty hotel. She shared a delightful video about her stay there, which you can view below and see if it inspires you to make the journey to Japan to meet these friendly felines!