You could have heard of cat cafes, or even perhaps the capybara, micropig or hedgehog cafes fashionable in Japan. Amongst these enjoyable petting-zoo-meets-snack-purveyor locations are bunny cafes, and San Francisco is about to get its first.
Behind the imaginative and prescient is Kathreen Kato, who adopted Alex the Nice, a San Francisco Flemish big rabbit, along with her fiancé. Alex labored as a remedy bunny and was generally known as the San Francisco Giants’ “rally rabbit.” He was additionally a part of the Wag Brigade, a bunch of pets offering animal-assisted remedy to guests at SFO, earlier than he was identified with most cancers and died in July.
The Bunny Cafe, at 1327 Columbus Ave. in San Francisco, is about to open in late November or early December, and is being constructed as an homage to Alex, in keeping with Kato. “He paved the way,” she says. “Bunnies can do more. They should be loved.”
She’s pushed to create a extra handy place than a few of the outlying animal shelters the place individuals can study extra about rabbits as pets and meet adoptable bunnies. The cafe will change shelter nonprofits usually, and are to date partnering with three rescues. The rescue area can be separated from the cafe, which can be vegetarian and vegan, with grab-and-go choices. Meals and drinks usually are not allowed within the bunny lounge. There’ll be gadgets like Korean immediate ramen, bunny merchandise and cruelty-free merchandise, with a portion of earnings going towards bunny rescue nonprofits, she says.
Individuals who need to go to with the bunnies can be anticipated to make on-line reservations. Once they present up, they’ll obtain complimentary non-slip socks and put their belongings away in lockers earlier than they begin interacting with the rabbits. The bunnies can’t be picked up, however they’re accessible to pet and befriend. The bunny lounge may even be ADA-compliant, Kato says. And the cafe is seeking to present reductions to first responders and medical suppliers, in addition to free visits to youngsters at Household Home, a San Francisco nonprofit that homes households with kids present process most cancers therapy and different life-threatening sicknesses.
The bunnies, all adoptable as pets, are “bun unionized,” and could have restricted shifts for socializing with people, Kato says. They’re additionally planning to supply “BYOB” — that’s convey your individual bunny — days, the place bunny homeowners can convey their pets for grooming tutorials and extra.
Because it’s a San Francisco bunny cafe, some high-tech gear can be used, naturally. They’re planning to make use of PiFi feeders, which use facial-recognition know-how to trace how a lot meals and water the bunnies are taking in. Bunnies can be quarantined briefly, then watched carefully for indicators of any misery, she says — there can be poop, pee and weight charts.
A number of individuals within the bunny group are passionate in regards to the animals’ care and welfare, and typically the criticisms could be harsh, she says. However she’s constructing the venture deliberately, and is deeply dedicated to honoring Alex the Nice’s legacy, she says. “I’m putting everything I have into this.”
Particulars: Opening 7 a.m.-9 p.m. each day at 1327 Columbus Ave., San Francisco, in late November or early December; bunnycafesf.com
