The new guidelines by Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) will provide greater clarity, business owners say.
The Spring Spring Cafe owner Nakata Teoh said although his business concept was well received, getting approval had been a struggle.
He has been operating the business since 2023 but has been issued summonses several times by MBPJ because the business concept has yet to be officially recognised.
The cafe is home to 14 rescued stray cats, all of them vaccinated.
“People love the concept of an animal cafe where they can relax.
“Customers say my cafe does not have any odour because we groom the cats every morning.
“We also clearly display the rules and regulations at the entrance to the cafe.
“These include removal of footwear before entering,” said Teoh who only has rescued cats in his cafe, each of which comes with an interesting backstory.
“I am ready to follow the rules, which will benefit the animals, business owners, customers and the local council,” said the animal lover.
Huskiss Cafe owner Jia Wei Chan said: “We are looking forward to MBPJ’s guidelines because there are currently none.
“In the meantime, we have adopted best practices based on our research in Japan and Thailand.”
Huskiss Cafe, opened in 2017, is home to 11 huskies.
They are vaccinated and also get to exercise daily.
According to Jia, there are five one-hour sessions each day for customers to interact with the dogs.
After each session, the dogs are given a 30-minute break.
The cafe is closed on Tuesdays, when the dogs are bathed and groomed.
Jia said visitors were required to sanitise their hands before entering the dog area, which is separated from the cafe by a glass door.
