
The first cat cafe
In 1998, the world’s first cat cafe opened in Taiwan
Witness History · BBC World Service
September 29, 202310m 10s
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Show Notes
The world's first cat cafe opened in Taipei, Taiwan, in 1998.
It started with just five street cats.
For the first few months they hardly had any visitors. Then a film crew made a TV programme about the cafe, and it eventually became a global tourist destination.
Cat cafes have become a worldwide phenomenon.
Tracy Chang, founder and owner, tells her story to Gill Kearsley.
(Photo: Inside the first cat cafe. Credit: Tracy Chang)