Rent-a-Cat?

My roommate and I have been discussing getting an addition to our apartment-- a kitty, but we're having a difficult time agreeing on what kind of cat to get. My roommate has his heart set on a black Persian, but I've had a Persian before, and those long-haired purebreds are not easy to maintain. If you don't brush them thoroughly at least once a day their hair will become a tangled mat, and taking them to the groomer to get shaved becomes quite costly after several visits.

My recommendation is to adopt a cat or kitten from a nearby shelter. My roommate really wants a kitten that we can watch grow though. Choosing a cat based on every ones' desires in the household has become a little challenge, but I'm hoping we can figure things out soon. I started to wonder if getting a cat for our small NYC apartment would even be a good idea. After all, I don't want the whole apartment to smell like a giant litter box. Therefore, I thought it might be a good idea to do a trial run with having a cat in the apartment. I did a little online research and found a site that rents out cats. I'm not sure if this blogger who is pimping out his cats is for real or not but...that's actually not that bad of an idea.

Then as if it were a sign from the kitty heaven above, I stumbled upon another blog, Sea of Shoes, that describes a popular trend in Tokyo--Kitty Cafes. It's basically a cafe where you can pet and play with cats. Now why don't we have those in America? Best.Idea.Ever! (For those who like cats at least). The cats are treated like royalty too; you must wash your hands before petting them, you can't disturb them if they're sleeping, and you can feed them treats. This is the perfect place to go if one wants the companionship of a furry friend without having to take on the responsibility of housing and feeding them.

Unfortunately, there are no cat cafes in New York that I know of. Therefore, I may have to make a visit to a nearby shelter to get my feline fix. The only problem is that it's so hard seeing all of the kitties in their small cages meowing to be let out. I always leave wishing I could take a few of them home. Maybe my next business adventure will be opening New York's first cat cafe, and I can adopt several cats from shelters to live there.

(The ridiculously awesome picture at the top is compliments of Sea of Shoes blogger, Jane.)